April Showers Don't Always Bring May Flowers
by B R Cary
Summary: Sequel to What Happens in Vegas Doesn't Always Stay in Vegas. Luke and Lorelai ran off to Las Vegas to get married, but what happens after the honeymoon has ended?
1. Thunderstorms Approach

Title: April Showers Don't Always Bring May Flowers

Author: B R Cary

Disclaimer: I don't own the Gilmore Girls. If I did, Luke and Lorelai would still be together. Oh, and no Annas or Christophers were harmed in the making of this story, though I REALLY wanted to. Darn ethical treatment of animals act. ; )

Author's Note: This is the sequel to "What Happens in Vegas Doesn't Always Stay in Vegas." If you haven't read it, this story should still make sense, but you might want to read it just to get the back story.

Chapter 1 - Thunderstorms Approach

Stars Hollow. Population 9,973. At least that was what the sign said, but Christopher Hayden was only concerned about two of the residents. Well, if he were being honest with himself, which he hated to do, then he would have to admit that more often than not one of those residents occupied his thoughts more than the other. This time he tried to pass it off as concern since he had not spoken with Lorelai since the dinner where her parents had tried to set him up with Winnie, Pinnie, or whatever that girl's name had been, but he knew it went beyond mere concern. His only focus that night had been on Lorelai. And if he had read her right, she had felt the same way. So what if she was engaged to that Neanderthal diner owner. He didn't know Lorelai like he did. Neanderthal man didn't know what made her tick. But Chris did. So, after much debate with himself about it, he decided it was time to stake his claim, to win over the woman that should have been his a long, long time ago.

Turning off the exit, Chris headed toward the Dragonfly Inn. He could not believe Lorelai had actually made her dream happen. He was proud of her. He always knew she had it in her, though, sadly, he didn't think he had ever told her. It was the Hayden curse to be just a little too focused on oneself. But maybe he would have to start telling her more. After all, didn't women like to hear those things?

As Chris pulled up to the Dragonfly's entrance, he spotted Lorelai through the Inn's window looking as beautiful as ever. Though she would never be the quote unquote trophy wife, Chris had to admit she would indeed look good on his arm at business dinners. Then he kicked himself for thinking that. That was something his father would have thought, though more and more he was realizing he agreed with a lot of what his father had always said, things he used to reject as archaic and just plain stupid.

Getting out of the car, Chris walked up the stairs and into the lobby of the Dragonfly. At once he was hit by the warmth and coziness the Inn exuded. Every detail was crafted to invoke that feeling and seemed to reflect the owner herself. At least it felt that way to Chris. He walked over to where Lorelai was bent down at the Receptionist Desk, obviously catching up on some work. "Excuse me, I was looking for the owner of this fine establishment."

At the sound of his voice, Lorelai's head snapped up. Chris noticed a look of panic seemed to cross her face, but it was so quickly replaced with a smile he thought he must have just imagined it. "Chris, what are you doing here?"

"What, I can't just drop in to say hello?" Chris answered as he leaned against the counter.

Lorelai merely shrugged. "It's a free country."

"So, do you think you could convince your boss to let you knock off early?" Chris asked as he gave Lorelai the smile she had never seemed to be able to resist. But this time she just raised an eyebrow at him.

"Why?"

It was Chris' turn to shrug. "I haven't really seen you in a while so I thought we could go grab some lunch."

"We can do that here in the dining room. Sookie would be more than happy to have another mouth to feed. This week has been kind of slow," Lorelai replied.

"I thought we could go someplace more . . . intimate," Chris said, lowering his voice a little, another trick that always seemed to work in the past.

Again, Lorelai just looked annoyed. "Chris," she began, then the phone rang. She picked it up and said, "Dragonfly Inn, Lorelai speaking." She paused for a moment then a smile crossed her face, the smile Chris always thought was reserved just for him. But then he noticed that this was a different smile, an even happier one. "Hey, you. . .No, I'm not doing anything right now . . .Lunch, sounds great . . . What are you making me? . . . You are way too good to me . . . Ha, ha. Why do I keep you around again? . . . Yes, there is that, which is a VERY good reason to keep you around. You know how much I love my coffee . . . Just give me a little while to finish some things and I'll be home . . . Love you, too." As she hung up the phone, she looked over at Chris and a look of surprise crossed her face, like she had forgotten he was there. "Oh, Chris. You had asked me to lunch, didn't you? Sorry about that."

Chris could tell by the tone of Lorelai's voice she really wasn't all that sorry and that irritated him, as did the fact she obviously just blown him off. "So, who did you just blow me off for?"

"If you must know, my hu . . .," Lorelai started, and then quickly stopped. "Luke."

Luke. How Chris hated that name and that man. He was always coming in to ruin what he and Lorelai had together. Then something hit him. Lorelai had been about to say something when she suddenly stopped herself. What didn't she want him to know? Then another thought crossed his mind. She had said, "I'll be home." Not at home, but home. Did she and Luke live together? And if so, since when. He knew that had not been the case when he had seen her at her parent's house three weeks before. In fact, he had gotten the impression that Luke and Lorelai were going through a rather rough patch. It was one of the things that made him realize now was the time to act. But now, if they were back together, it would make things harder. That didn't mean he was going to give up without a fight, though. He would just have to try harder and amp up the charm, something diner boy was seriously lacking. "So, he cooks for you, does he. I can see where that would appeal to you."

Lorelai shot Chris a glare. "He does more than just cook for me, Chris. Now what is it you are REALLY here for? I can't imagine you coming all the way from Boston just to catch up. Especially since I just saw you three weeks ago."

"Maybe I would like to be around more," Chris responded, nonchalantly.

"And the truth comes out. Chris, how many times do I have to tell you? It's never going to happen, especially not now," Lorelai sighed. "Not that is ever was. We were two high school kids who got linked together by a mistake we both took part in. Now a VERY good thing came out of that mistake, but we are only connected by our daughter, nothing more. Please realize that and move on."

"Maybe I don't want to move on without you."

"That might be true, but I'm already taken and very happily so," Lorelai shot back.

Chris snorted. "How can Luke possibly make you happy? What can he offer you that I can't? He runs a diner and is never going to amount to anything beyond that. I can give you anything your heart desires."

Lorelai sighed again, but this time sadly. "Chris, you just don't get it. I don't need you to give me what my heart desires, because I already have it. What my heart desires is Luke. It took me so long to realize that, years of wasted time to see what I wanted was always right in front of me. You ask me what he can offer me that you can't. He supports me without being controlling. He takes care of me without being smothering. He is there for me and Rory, no questions asked, no strings attached. But most of all he knows me and loves me, all of me, faults and all."

Lorelai's words struck Chris like a ton of bricks. Could he really have lost Lorelai? Could she really chosen have Diner Man over Christopher Hayden? Though he didn't really want to know, he had to ask. "So, you are really going to marry him?"

"I already did," Lorelai said softly as she held up her hand.

If Lorelai's previous statement had felt like a ton of bricks, her current admission felt like an entire brickyard. She had gotten married and it had not been to him. Chris felt like he couldn't breathe as he watched the light catch the band of diamonds nestled under Lorelai's engagement ring. "You got married!" he choked out.

Nodding, Lorelai put her hand back down. "Yes."

"When?"

Lorleai grinned a bit sheepishly. "Actually it was the day after I last saw you. After diner I went to Luke and told him I wanted to elope right then and there. He agreed and we fly to Las Vegas that night."

"Ah, the classy wedding you always dreamed about, I see. What, Luke couldn't afford anything better?" Chris threw out, hoping to make Lorelai see just the type of guy she married – one who couldn't even afford to give the woman he claimed to love a decent wedding.

That received another glare from Lorelai. "Actually it was everything I dreamed of. Luke flew Rory, my parents, and our best friends to Vegas– first class mind you – put them up in a hotel, and even gave them a vacation, all expenses paid, for a few days after our wedding. Our reception was in one of the private rooms at The Eiffel Tower Restaurant. Our honeymoon was a trip up the West Coast, wherever I wanted to go. So, yes, Luke could afford the wedding of my dreams, and beyond. And I don't appreciate you belittling him when you don't even know him."

"But he will never make you happy."

"I've been happier these two years with him than I even have been. Besides the day Rory was born, my wedding day was the happiest day of my life. Luke is the one for me. I wish you and my mom could see that."

Chris tucked Lorelai's last statement into his brain for later use. It was good to know that Emily Gilmore was an ally. "But he has a kid from another relationship. Are you sure you want that responsibility?"

Lorelai looked at him, dumbfounded. "How can you, of all people, be making that an issue? Hello, you have a kid from another relationship as well. Why is okay for you, but not for him?"

Kicking himself mentally for making that slipup, Chris tried to backtrack. "I have full custody. Do you really want to have to deal with the whole mom/stepmom issue?"

"It's something Luke and I are dealing with. He is going to file for joint custody. And for your information, April and I get along quite well. I even planned her 13th birthday party."

Not being able to help himself, Chris said, "Well, I'm sure you two have the same maturity level so of course she likes you."

Rolling her eyes, Lorelai responded, "Talk about being immature. Look, Chris, I know I spoiled whatever grand plan you had, but can you honestly say you can see us together. We would never work out. If we would have, we would have tried to make a go of it long before now. Everytime we tried, the universe stepped in to stop it. I think we need to take that as a hint we were never meant to be together. I've moved on. It's time you did as well. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do and a husband to go see."

As he watched Lorelai walk off, Chris realized this was going to be a bigger fight than he first thought.

**2nd Author's Note:**

Hello. It's me again. I promised all my loyal readers a sequel and here is the start of it. This is not how I originally outlined my story to start, but Chris just showed up and demanded to be first out of the gate. And, boy, is he demanding when he wants to be. I have not idea what made me write in Chris' point of view. I hate his character. But since I wrote in Anna's, I figured I would give it a shot. The other chapters will go back to Lorelai and Luke's point of view. Anyway, I hope you like it and will give this story a chance. It's going to be a little more dramatic than "What Happens in Vegas", but there will still be tons of Luke and Lorelai moments as this is a Luke/Lorelai story all the way. After all, for me, the breakup never happened and Lorelai NEVER slept with Chris.


	2. The Calm after the Storm or Before it?

Chapter 2 – The Calm after the Storm . . . or Before It?

As Lorelai pulled into the driveway of her and Luke's house, she spotted his truck in its usual spot. She smiled to herself at the feelings of warmth it gave her. It just felt right to see Luke's truck there, at the house they both shared. Then Chris' words came back to her – "He will never be able to make you happy." As she walked into the house, she realized just how wrong Chris had been. Just walking into the house mixed with her stuff and Luke's made her happy. The mix of the male and the female, the masculine and the feminine just felt right to her. Just then, she saw something that made her even happier – Luke walking out of the kitchen and making his way toward her.

"Hey," Luke said as he stopped in front of Lorelai and gave her a kiss.

"Hi, yourself," Lorelai replied.

"Lunch is almost ready," Luke said as he headed back toward the kitchen.

Lorelai turned and followed Luke into the roomy, airy kitchen. The kitchen was never a place she had ever really enjoyed being, but since getting married, she found herself in there more and more. Okay, maybe it was because that was where she normally found Luke. Ever since the plane ride to Las Vegas where they talked out the issues which had sprung up in their relationship, things had been like when they first started dating. They had been talking more and more, which is why Lorelai knew she needed to tell Luke about Chris. As she said down at the table, she said, "Hey, Luke."

"Hmmm," Luke responded as he stood at the stove stirring something.

"Chris stopped by the Inn today."

"Oh, really. What did he want?"

From his tone, Lorelai could tell Luke was trying not to let Chris' appearance bother him, but she could tell the mention of Chris' name was still a sore spot with her husband. And even though she didn't want to hurt Luke further by the nature of Chris' visit, she didn't want to keep anything from him. Keeping secrets had almost destroyed their relationship too many times. "He wanted to go to lunch. Well, actually he wanted to go to lunch to talk about getting back together."

Luke froze for a moment, then began to stir harder. "What did you tell him?"

"What do you think I told him? That I wanted to get back together." Lorelai got up off the chair and walked over to Luke. Placing her hand on his arm, she said, "Luke, I am your wife. I am committed to you."

Sighing, Luke stopped stirring and put the spoon down on the stovetop. He turned to Lorelai and said, "I know. I know you are, it's just that whenever I hear his name, all my insecurities come back. We broke up once because of him and I really don't want to experience that again."

Lorelai ran her hand down Luke's cheek. "Luke, just as you told me when I said that I felt you were going to leave me for Anna – it's never going to happen."

Luke sighed again. "My heart knows that, but my head keeps saying that Chris could give you so much more than I ever could. I am just a guy who owns a diner. Chris has millions at his disposal."

Wondering briefly if Luke had heard her conversation with Chris, Lorelai said, "Luke, you should know money doesn't matter to me. If it did, I would have stayed in Hartford. I don't care if we live in a shack, your apartment above the diner, or in a mansion. All I want to be is with you."

"You have me," Luke said as he wrapped his arm around Lorelai.

Reaching up, Lorelai played with the curls that escaped the bill of Luke's backwards turned baseball cap. "And I plan on keeping you. Chris told me that he could give me all my heart desired and I told him that he couldn't, because I already had it; I had you. I told him you are what makes me happy."

A smile crossed Luke's face. "And you make me happy, Mrs. Danes."

"I still haven't gotten tired of hearing that," Lorelai smiled back.

"I plan on making sure you never do," Luke said as he leaned down to kiss Lorelai.

xxxxxxx

Lorelai whistled softly as she walked in to the lobby of the Dragonfly. She headed into the kitchen to see of Sookie had anything from lunch left over because she and Luke had never gotten around to actually eating during their lunch break, not that she minded. They had spent their time together indulging in much more rewarding activities. Smiling at the memory, she nearly ran into her best friend.

"Well, someone looks happy," Sookie said.

"I had a VERY nice lunch break," Lorelai replied, sitting down at the island in the middle of the kitchen.

"Oh," Sookie replied as she turned away from the counter and busied herself in the refrigerator.

Hearing the same tone in Sookie's voice that she had heard earlier in Luke's, Loreai asked, "Okay, Sookie, what is the tone about?"

Turning around again, Sookie responded, "It's just that I saw Chris here earlier and I heard him ask you to lunch. Then you come in looking all happy, saying you had a VERY nice lunch break. What am I to think?"

Lorelai started to get mad. "That maybe you should trust me. That maybe I didn't go to lunch with Chris. That maybe I went to spend lunch with my husband. That maybe I had a VERY nice lunch break because he and I didn't actually get around to eating."

A sheepish look crossed Sookie's face. "You're right. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. It's just that I know how you used to let Chris affect you. Whenever he was around, you seemed to fall under his influence. And you seemed awfully chummy with him at Lane's wedding. I just didn't want you to throw away the good thing you have with Luke for Christopher."

"Don't worry, Sookie. I promise that I won't. Yes, Chris did want to go to lunch. Yes, he did want to talk about getting back together, but I told him off. I told him that I was married now and extremely happy. Then he put Luke down, which ticked me off any further. I know I have let Chris affect me in the past, that I have too often let my mind wander to the 'what if'. But no more. I don't need to ask that anymore. All I have ever wanted I have found with Luke."

Sookie squealed and grabbed Lorelai into a hug. "I am so happy for you. I know I have already told you that, but I am. You and Luke are so perfect together."

Lorelai laughed at Sookie's enthusiasm. "I'm glad you think so, because I do, too."

Sookie opened her mouth to say something when Michel came in. "Lorelai, there is someone out at the front desk for you," he said in his overdone French accent.

"Who is it?" Lorelai asked, hoping it wasn't Chris coming back.

"How should I know? I didn't bother asking," Michel said as he poured himself a cup of tea.

Rolling her eyes, Lorelai walked out to the front desk, she stopped short when she saw who was standing there. "Rachel?"

**Author's Note:**

Don't worry. This won't be one of those stories. You know the ones. The ones where all the exes come and reek havoc. In my final author's note of "What Happens in Vegas" I mentioned that I might be bringing back someone from the past. Rachel is that person, but she will tie into the story for the side of good. ; )

Sorry this is so short. The scene between Luke and Lorelai was supposed to be longer, but it just didn't happen that way. I might expand it later in the story.


	3. Mostly Sunny with Scattered Showers

Chapter 3 – Today's Forecast – Mostly Sunny with Scattered Showers

Chris looked over at his GPS monitor to make sure he had turned onto the right street. As he pulled up in front of a traditional, Cape Cod style house, he checked the address his assistant had given him. He knew this was stooping a little low, but he had to do what needed to be done in order to get Lorelai back.

Getting out of the car, Chris made his way up the porch. He knocked, and then waited impatiently for the door to open. "Can I help you?"

Chris noticed the woman answering the door was strikingly pretty. It took him a moment to clear his head enough to ask, "Are you Anna Nardini?"

"Yes," the woman answered cautiously.

"My name is Christopher Hayden. I know Lorelai Gilmore. I think we need to talk."

xxxxxxx

Lorelai just stood in shook, looking at the person standing in the lobby of the Dragonfly. What was this? The day all the exes showed up? She half expected Jason, Max, and Nicole to walk in the door next.

"I can see my being here came as a surprise. I told the man who answered the phone when I made my reservation to let you know I was coming," Rachel said.

Lorelai made a mental note to kill Michel. "He didn't bother to say anything to me." She paused for a moment. "So, what brings you back to Stars Hollow?"

"I saw an article in a travel magazine a few weeks ago that featured this place. I remembered the day I brought you here and was excited to come see the finished place for myself. From what I've seen so far, this place is amazing," Rachel all but gushed.

"Thank you," Lorelai returned. She looked at Rachel and wondered if Rachel was really here about the Inn or if she was here for something, or rather someone, else. She looked Rachel over again and couldn't help but be a little jealous of how good Rachel looked. Rachel always had that casual, yet world traveled look about her and it appeared that she hadn't lost it, but instead upped her style with designer clothes.

"So, what else has been going on since I've been gone? It's hard to believe it's been nearly six years since I was last here."

"Um, let me see. You already know about the Inn. Oh, Rory is getting ready to start her senior year at Yale."

"Wow, that's impressive." Rachel furrowed her brow. "Wait, I thought I remember Rory's dream was to go to Harvard."

Lorelai was impressed that Rachel even knew that, let alone remembered that fact. "She got accepted to both, as well as Princeton, but after several long pro/con lists, she chose to go to Yale."

Rachel nodded. "Well, all three are very good schools. You must be extremely proud. I remember always liking Rory. She was a good kid."

Despite her misgivings about Rachel's sudden appearance, Lorelai could not help but beam with motherly pride. "Yes, she is."

"I remember how she and Lane would always come into the diner and stock Lane up on chili fries before sending her home to face a mound of wheat sprouts and tofu," Rachel said, laughing at the memory.

"Lane got married about a month ago," Lorelai responded as she reached up to brush a stray piece of hair out of her face.

"And it looks like she's not the only one who got married," Rachel commented.

Lorelai looked down at the rings on her left hand. How did one tell your husband's ex-girlfriend that you were the one who married him? "Yes," she said simply.

"So, Luke took my advice, did he? I'm glad. I knew you two would be good together," Rachel replied, smiling broadly.

Lorelai was taken aback. Rachel was happy for her and Luke? That was the first shocker. The second was that Rachel had talked to Luke about her. When? And how had she not know about this? "You talked to Luke about me? When was this?"

Rachel stood there for a moment with a confused look on her face. "Right before I left the last time I was here. I told him that he should act on his obvious feeling for you." A look of concern suddenly crossed her face. "You did marry Luke, didn't you? I'm not opening a can of worms, am I?"

"No, I married Luke, but he never told me you had EVER talked to him about me. We've only been together for the last two years and married for the last three weeks," Lorelai admitted.

"So, the idiot did wait," Rachel fumed, and then a sheepish look crossed her face. "Sorry, I didn't mean to insult your husband. I told him that he shouldn't wait too long to act on his feeling for you, that he needed to tell you. I can't believe he waited for three years before telling you."

Lorelai just stood there staring at Rachel. She could not believe this was happening. It was such a night and day difference to either Anna or Chris' reaction to her relationship with Luke. Maybe it was because with Anna and Chris children were involved, as well. Rachel, on the other hand, was upset at the fact that Luke had waited so long to reveal his feelings. Talk about your Twilight Zone moments. "Not to give you a coronary, but Luke also got married during those three years."

"HE GOT WHAT!"

"Married," Lorelai repeated, shocked and a bit amused at Rachel's reaction. It was very similar to what her own had been. "Her name was Nicole."

"Luke got married?" Rachel said, obviously not believing what she had just heard.

"Oh, it gets better. She was one of Taylor's lawyers. They dated for a few months, and then Luke goes on a cruise with her and come back married. Luke admits there was much tequila involved, but he still ended up married. They were going to get a divorce right after the cruise ended, but Nicole ended up convincing him to give their marriage a try. They even "moved in" together, though he and I still debate about that one. He says he did, but since most of his stuff was still in his apartment, I say he didn't. Anyway, it only lasted a few months before Luke discovered that Nicole was cheating on him, and then it was goodbye Nicole." Lorelai didn't know why she had told Rachel all she just had. Maybe it was nice to have someone not in her usual circle to talk to and affirm her relationship with Luke.

"I can't believe Luke went on a cruise and came home married, to a lawyer no less. And Taylor's lawyer at that. It just doesn't seem like him at all," Rachel said, shaking her head.

Lorelai went and sat down on one of the couches. If she was going to disclose her and Luke's relationship history, she might as well share it all and she had a feeling that Rachel was going to need to sit down after hearing the next part. "There's more."

Rachel sat down beside Lorelai. "Why do I get the picture this is an even bigger bombshell?"

"Because it is." Lorelai was quiet for a moment. "Luke has a kid."

"I'm taking it you don't mean a goat," Rachel quipped. "So, he had a child with this Nicole?"

"No, with one Anna Nardini. He just found out about six months ago. April, his daughter, came in the diner one day and wanted a hair sample so she could run a DNA test for her science fair project. She was trying to find out who her father was. Luke was lucky test subject #1."

Rachel's eyes went wide, and then she nodded. "I remember him telling me a little about Anna. She seemed to be a piece of work. She cheated on him too, from what I remember. I think he came home one night to find her with two men she had picked up from a bar. Luke and I started dating about a year after that incident, so he was a little bit of a relationship phobic. I can't believe Anna never told him he had a daughter. What was her excuse for not telling him?

"That he never seemed to be the sort that wanted kids," Lorelai replied.

Rachel snorted. "Whatever. He might complain about 'jam hands' and such, but I know of no other man would make a wonderful father."

"I agree with you, but Anna doesn't. Luke is trying to get joint custody, but she says that she is going to fight us on it," Lorelai said sadly.

Laying her hand on Lorelai's arm, Rachel said, "Whatever I can do to help, please let me know. If you need me to testify on your and Luke's behalf, I will be more than happy to do so. I'm sure you are going to get the townspeople involved, because you couldn't stop them from doing so, but it also might help to have someone who once dated Luke to be on your side."

Lorelai was stunned at Rachel's offer to help. Again, the contrast between Anna and Rachel stood out like a blinding light. "I can't believe you would be willing to do that."

Rachel merely laughed. "Why, because I once dated Luke? Lorelai, just because Luke and I didn't work out doesn't mean that I don't still care for him. And I don't mean in a romantic way. And I hold no ill will towards you. Call me a hopeless romantic, but the first time I saw you two interact, I knew. It was obvious that you two were meant to be together. You just got each other. You clicked. I wanted to hate you for that, but the more I got to know you, the more I liked you. I saw we were a lot alike in many ways. We were both trying to find ourselves. But my search took me away from Stars Hollow and yours lead you to it. Once I realized that, I knew which of us Luke really needed. So, I took myself out of the mix and told him he should go for it. I truly am happy for the both of you. I always thought you would make a really good couple."

"Thank you," Lorelai said quietly.

"So, I want to hear more about your wedding," Rachel said, changing the subject.

Happy to be on a much more comfortable topic, Lorelai launched in to the tale of her and Luke's wedding adventure.

xxxxxxx

Luke sat that the counter totaling up the bills for the day. He had been trying to contain a smile all day as he recalled his and Lorelai's "lunch" break. Man, he loved being married. Not that he and Lorelai didn't indulge in those kind of breaks before they tied the knot, but knowing she was really and truly his and only his seemed to make the experience even better. Or maybe it was because he and Lorelai had a marriage in the truest sense of the word. What he had experienced with Nicole was a mere shadow to what he and Lorelai shared.

Luke was brought out of his ruminations when the phone rang. Turning from the counter, he said, "Luke's."

"I just thought you would want to know I had an interesting visitor stop by today."

Hearing Anna's voice on the other line, Luke straightened. She sounded a little too happy, so no good could come out of this call. "Oh, and who was that."

"A guy by the name of Christopher Hayden dropped by my house. He had lots of interesting things to share with me about your dear wife."

Luke took a deep breath to calm down. Just what game was Christopher trying to play? Is this what he thought would win Lorelai back? If so, the guy was more of a loser then he first thought. "I'm sure it's not anything I don't already know."

"Maybe not, but it is stuff the family court would frown upon," Anna replied.

Knowing that Anna was just trying to bait him, Luke responded, "Anna, I know what you are trying to do. So what, you have Chris on your side. He isn't the most upstanding guy himself. He walked out on his own kid when she was just a baby and didn't have contact with her expect maybe once or twice a year until she was nearly sixteen. Our situation is completely different because I didn't have the choice whether or not to be in April's life. You made that choice for me. If I had been told, things would have been different. I would have been in April's life. And you can't deny that since I have found out about her, I have made an effort to be a permanent fixture. That is what scares you. You think she will like me better than she does you." As he spoke the words, he realized he had heard them once before, coming out of his own mouth. He suddenly saw how very stupid he had been to ever think such a thing in regards to Lorelai.

"As if that could ever be possible, "Anna spat back. "I just wanted to let you know to prepare yourself for a battle, because if that is what it takes to keep full custody, that is what you will get." With that, she abruptly ended the call.

As Luke hung up the phone, he shook his head. Well, so much for his good mood. Not for the first time he wondered what he had EVER seen in Anna. He must have been really desperate for a date.

Sighing, Luke picked the phone back up and dialed a familiar number. Though he hated to, he knew he needed to call Lorelai and tell her about the latest development.

**Author's Note: **

Though I do hate Anna, I don't think she is nearly this catty on the show. Yes, she is catty, but I did exaggerate it a bit for dramatic effect. In this story, she has been hurt by Luke. In her mind, she is the woman scorned by his actions in WHIV, so she is going to get back at him. And Chris is used to having his way with Lorelai. At least used to having her respond favorably to him.

I don't know how true Rachel is to character, but she did try to push Luke toward Lorelai when she left, so this is my take on her. I chose to use her, because of all of Luke's exes (I don't count Lorelai as in ex because in my world, she is not), I liked Rachel best.


	4. Hurricane Chris Expected to Hit

Chapter 4 – Hurricane Chris Expected to Hit East Coast

Rachel walked down the streets of Stars Hollow. Besides what appeared to be a fresh coat of paint on all the buildings, she was surprised at how very little the town had changed since she was last here. Then again, change probably went against some law Taylor had written in the bylaws.

Suddenly a very familiar building caught Rachel's eye. Stopping, she looked in the big, picture window and spotted Luke standing by the counter talking on the phone. She took a moment to study him. Wearing his usual "uniform" of a flannel shirt and backwards baseball cap, Luke looked much the same as she remembered him. Maybe a little older and a little broader, but still in shape and just as handsome. She smiled as the memories of the good times they had shared filled her mind, then she pushed them away. She had meant what she had told Lorelai. She was very happy Luke and Lorelai got married, but it did make her think of what she had given up, of what she was still missing her in life.

Walking up the steps, Rachel pushed the door to the diner open. Luke had turned away from the door to hang up the phone, but at the sound of the bell, he said, "I'll be with you in a moment."

"No hurry. It's not like I don't know my way around the place." At the sound of her voice, Luke whipped around. Rachel almost laughed at the look of sheer panic on his face. "Surprise."

"Rachel. What are you doing here?"

Rachel laughed. "Man, I can sure feel the love in this town. Lorelai said the same thing when I surprised her."

"Lorelai knows you're here? I just got off the phone with her and she never said a word," Luke said, his aggravation showing clearly in his voice.

Making her way over to the counter, Rachel sat down on one of the stools. "Speaking of Lorelai, I hear congratulations are in order."

A slight blush crossed Luke's face and he shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, yeah. We got married."

"That's what Lorelai said. I'm really happy for you," Rachel said, with a smile. Then she reached out and smacked Luke on the arm.

"What was that for?"

"For waiting so long. Three years, Luke? Lorelai told me you waited for three years after I left to ask her out. I thought I told you not to wait too long."

"It just never seemed like the right time," Luke replied.

"And you got married. How could you get married? I didn't even know this Nicole person and I know she was wrong for you," Rachel said, with an exasperated tone.

"How did you know . . . Lorelai told you, didn't she?" Luke asked.

Rachel nodded. "Yes, and she also told me about April. Wow, your life has certainly changed since I last saw you."

Luke shrugged. "I guess you could say that."

Rachel laughed again. "You always were the king of the understatement." She paused for a moment. "I can't believe that Anna didn't tell you about April. That is the lowest of the low. And for her to think even for one second that you would not make a good father just shows how crazy she is. Did she even meet you?"

"Man, Lorelai was busy, wasn't she," Luke replied as he crossed his arms across his chest.

Rachel laid her hand on Luke's arm. "Luke, don't be mad at her. I think she just needed someone to talk to that hadn't be involved in the situation from the beginning, someone to help her get a new perspective on things. I know you don't like people knowing your business, but it's not like I'm a stranger."

Luke sighed. "I know, it's just weird for the two of you to be talking about me."

Rachel shot Luke a grin. "But you're such a fun topic."

"Like I really want my wife talking to my ex-girlfriend about me." Luke muttered.

"Just be thankful it is an ex-girlfriend who wanted to two of you together," Rachel countered.

That caused Luke to chuckle a little. "Good point. But it's still weird."

"If it wasn't, then I would worry. Lorelai mentioned you were trying to get joint custody. It sounds like that's a good idea. I told her if you needed me to testify on your behalf, I would be more than happy to do so."

A look of surprise crossed Luke's face. "You would be willing to do that?"

"Luke, as I told your wife, just because you and I didn't work out doesn't mean I don't still care about you. I would like us to be friends. We started off that way. And I would like to be friends with your wife. I know it was strange when you and I were dating and I tried to befriend Lorelai. And it's no less strange now that the situation is flipped. But you need an ally in this and I am willing to be that."

"Thank you," Luke replied simply.

Rachel decided to change the subject with the same topic she had used on Lorelai. "So, I heard you went to Vegas for your wedding."

Luke nodded. "Yeah. Lorelai wanted to elope and that was the first place I thought of."

"Atlantic City was all booked up?" Rachel teased.

Luke merely shrugged again. "Like I said, didn't think of it at the time."

This caused Rachel to laugh. "Well, from what Lorelai told me, it sounded like a beautiful wedding."

"Yeah, it was," Luke responded, getting a far off look on his face.

"Thinking of Lorelai in her wedding dress?" Rachel inquired, and then a wicked grin crossed her face. "Or out of it?" The blush that crossed Luke's face gave Rachel her answer. She was about to respond when a squeal caused her to turn around just in time to be engulfed in a hug.

"Rachel, darling. What are you doing here?"

Rachel managed to finally untangle herself from Miss Patty's arms. "Again with the same question." As a look of confusion crossed Miss Patty's face, she continued, "I saw an ad for the Dragonfly Inn in a travel magazine and thought I would come check it out."

A look of unease crossed Miss Patty's face. "So, you've heard the news, then."

Though Rachel knew what news Miss Patty most likely meant, she feigned ignorance. "What news?"

Miss Patty snuck a glance at Luke, who was leaning against the back counter with his arms crossed. "Uh, the news about Luke and Lorelai."

"And what news would that be – that they got married or that Luke has a daughter? Because if it is news other than that, then no, I haven't heard it," Rachel replied. She had to suppress a laugh at the look of relief that crossed Miss Patty's face. "Relax, Patty. I didn't come back here to try and get back with Luke. I know that ship sailed a long time ago. I'm fine with that and I am completely fine with Luke and Lorelai being together. Trust me."

Miss Patty sighed in relief. "Well, thank goodness for that. I didn't want to have to monitor a cat fight, though I can certainly understand fighting over this one. He is rather sexy, isn't he?"

As Rachel heard Luke mutter, "Ah, jeez," under his breath and Miss Patty started to fill her in on all the gossip, she realized that Stars Hollow truly hadn't changed one bit.

XXXXXX

Several days later, Emily was sitting in the living room reading when the doorbell rang. "Annika, please get the door," she called out. Several more minutes passed with nothing happening, so she yelled again, "Annika." Finally, she heard the front door open. 'About time,' she thought to herself. It looked like she was going to have to fire another maid. Good help was truly hard to find. She stood up to go see who was at the door, when someone entered the living room. A look of surprise, then delight crossed her face when she saw who it was. "Christopher, what brings you here?"

"I need to speak to you and Richard. Is he home?" Chris asked.

"Actually, yes he is. He is normally at the club on Saturdays, but he decided not to go today." Emily turned toward the maid that was practically cowering in the doorway. "Annika, please go get Mr. Gilmore." As the maid left, Emily turned toward Chris. "May I get you something to drink?"

"Yes, thank you," Chris answered as walked into the living room and sat down on one of the facing sofas.

As Emily prepared Chris' drink, Richard walked into the room. He walked over to Chris and held out his hand. "Chris. Good to see you, my boy."

Chris took Richard's hand and shook it. "You too, Richard."

Emily walked over and handed Chris his drink. She then walked over and sat beside her husband on the other sofa. "You said you needed to speak with us about something?"

Chris was quiet for a moment, then spoke, "I've been doing a lot of thinking the last several months. I know in the past that I haven't accepted a lot of responsibility for my life and the life of others, but I have been trying to change. And one of the things I would like to change is my relationship with your daughter. I went to see her several days ago to share this with her. Well, imagine my surprise when I found out she is married and to that dinner owner, no less. I know you think like I do that he is beneath Lorelai, so I have come to you for help."

A wave of happiness flowed over Emily. She had always pictured her daughter with Chris. After all, he was the father of her child. They should be together. It was the proper thing to do and should have been done from the first moment Lorelai had found out she was pregnant. True, breaking a marriage was wrong, but it really was in Lorelai's best interest. Emily was about to speak when Richard suddenly stood up. Thinking he was going to consent to helping Chris, his words surprised her. "How dare you come into this house and ask that of us?"

Chris looked just as surprised as Emily felt. "I thought you didn't like Luke."

"That is not of your concern. How we feel about our daughter's husband is between us and her," Richard replied.

"When it concerns my daughter, it does concern me," Chris shot back.

"If you were so concerned for your daughter, you would have made more of an effort to be in her life. Christopher, I have watched my daughter these past few months. I have finally come to realize that what she has been trying to tell her mother and myself for years is correct. We never truly understood her or thought about what would make her happy. All we did was push our agenda on her. You were part of that agenda. Well, no more. She is married to Luke and appears to be truly happy. It is time we all accepted that. I will not come between her and her husband."

Chris stood up. "You have no right to tell me I was not involved with my daughter. I did the best I could."

"And the best you could was letting another man raise your daughter?" Richard shot back.

"What do you mean, let another man raise my daughter? I did no such thing."

Richard pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Chris, I sat on a plane and listened to my granddaughter tell us all the things that Luke did for her while she was growing up. She practically called him her father and did admit that she thought of him as one of the few constants in her life. He never once missed her birthday. He defended her against bullies and from broken hearts. He attended her school recitals. He was at her graduation and helped her move into her dorm room. Where were you during all those times?"

"Richard, you of all people should understand that business sometimes takes us away from our family. I wanted to be there, but couldn't," Chris replied, and then a sneer crossed his face. "And did it ever occur to you that Luke might have done those things merely to get into Lorelai's pants?"

Emily suddenly spoke up. "Christopher?"

A sheepish look crossed Chris' face. "Sorry, Emily." He paused for a moment. "Though I wanted to be at all those things, I couldn't be. That's just they way it was."

Richard snorted. "Yes, Chris, I do understand the business world. And because of my knowledge of it, I know you are full of crap. I know if you wanted to be there for your daughter, you would have and could have been. It was your choice not to be there. Your choice to miss out on knowing an amazing girl because you were too selfish to see what you missed out on until it was almost too late." As he finished, it seemed he was almost talking to himself.

"So, you won't help me?" Chris asked.

"No, Chris, we will not."

A look of almost rage crossed Chris' face. "Well, then just so you know. I have talked to Anna, the mother of Luke's daughter. I am going to help her keep custody away from Luke. I learned from my mistakes with Rory and am trying to make it up to GiGi. I will not let Anna go through what I did with Sherrie."

Richard shot Chris an almost challenging look. "Well, just so you know. I am the one who gave Luke and Lorelai their lawyer's name. And as you know, we Gilmores only accept the best and never back down from a fight, so I accept any challenge you can throw at us."

With one last glare, Chris turned and stormed out. Richard let out a sigh and sat down again. Emily, sat there trying to process everything. Could Chris really be that vindictive? Would he really try and keep Luke from seeing his daughter. He said he had learned his lesson, but it did not seem to be the case. If he had truly learned, he would not be keeping a father from their child. And his argument did not make any sense. Sherrie was the one who had left, just as Chris had done with Lorelai. From what Luke and Lorelai had told her and Richard, Luke had no choice in the matter as he had not learned about April until she was almost 13. Emily was brought out of her ruminations by Richard's voice. "I know you won't agree with what I just did, Emily, but I was only thinking about Lorelai and Rory."

Emily was silent for a moment. Did she agree or disagree with what Richard had just done? Several months ago, she would have been furious with him, but now, she wasn't so sure Richard had done the wrong thing. Lorelai did seem truly happy with Luke and he did seem to an able provider. And a stable one. She hated to admit it, but that could not always be said about Chris. "I don't think I am mad at you. I'm not sure what I am feeling right now."

Richard looked over at Emily, surprised. "I thought you would have been defending Chris to the hilt."

"In the past I would have been. But now, I am not so sure he deserves it," Emily admitted.

Richard shot Emily a grin. "So, changing our mind about the lowly diner man, are we?"

Emily waved her hand. "Now, I never said that. I will concede Luke seems to be a good man, but I still wish he had a more lucrative career."

"People need to eat, Emily," Richard pointed out.

"But does he have to own a diner? Couldn't he own a nice restaurant where we could actually take our friends?"

Richard chuckled, and then grew serious. "I happen to think his diner is charming, but I can understand your point. But the choice has been made and as much as I agree with you about Luke and his career choice, I also don't think it is right for us to keep interfering in Lorelai's life. She is a grown woman and we need to start respecting her choices. More importantly, we need to start showing her we support her, no matter what we might otherwise think"

"Even if we think our ways our best and would make her happier?" Emily inquired.

Richard was silent for a moment. "I'm beginning to wonder in her case if we really do know what is best."

XXXXXXX

Later that evening, Lorelai was sitting watching her favorite show – her husband making dinner. She loved watching his precise movements and the command he had over his cooking utensils. Of course, it also usually caused her to think about other activities were this attention to detail was just as welcome and that made her smile even more. Luke turned and caught her looking at him. "You know, if you keeping thinking those naughty thoughts, dinner will never get done."

Lorelai just laughed. "True, but it would be time so much better spent."

Luke grinned back, but before he could answer, the doorbell rang. "Saved by the bell."

As Lorelai made her way to the door, she called back to the kitchen, "An underrated show by the way. I mean, it did give us the star of the much beloved drinking game that is _Showgirls_." Lorelai could practically feel Luke roll his eyes from the front door. She opened it, but was not at all ready for who stood on the other side. "Mom, Dad, what are you doing here?"

"We came to talk to you and Luke. Is he here?" Richard asked.

Still shocked by her parents sudden appearance at her door, Lorelai stepped aside and let her parents enter. "Uh, he's in the kitchen making dinner. Follow me." She turned and headed back to the kitchen.

"Who was at the doo?," Luke asked as he heard Lorelai re-enter the kitchen. He turned and saw Lorelai with her parents. A surprised look crossed his face. "Richard, Emily, what brings you here?"

"Chris came to see us today. He told us about his siding with Anna in the custody manner. He wanted to see if he could get us on his side," Richard answered.

"That little . . .," Lorelai started, but was stopped by Luke's hand on her arm.

"Let's let them finish, Lorelai, before you get angry. After all, we already knew about Chris and Anna," Luke said.

At Lorelai's nod, Richard continued, "So, he told you, did he?"

"No, Anna called me to gloat," Luke replied.

"Ah," Richard responded. "Well, we just wanted to make sure you knew we were not going to side with Chris. In fact, we came by to bring you these." He handed Lorelai a stack of papers.

"What are these?" Lorelai asked, in a much calmer voice than she had previously spoken in.

"I spoke with you lawyer about what we could do to help you. He mentioned you needed character witnesses. Those are ours."

Lorelai looked over at her parents in shock. It surprised her that her parents were on her side in this matter, especially now that Chris had gone to them for help. She knew of her mother's fondness for him. Her dad had been softening his opinion of Luke for a little while now, but she was shocked he had taken it upon himself to write up a character witness for her and Luke. And she truly did not know what to make of her mother doing so as well. "I don't know what to say."

Luke stepped up beside her and stuck out his hand toward Richard, who shook it. "I believe the words are 'thank you'."

"You're welcome," Richard answered.

Lorelai stepped forward and hugged Richard. "Yes, thank you, Daddy," she said softly.

Luke turned toward Emily. "I know you don't like me much, but I want to thank you as well. This means a lot to me and even more to Lorelai."

Emily nodded. "What Chris did has caused me to do some thinking. I never expected him do something like this, but it made me realize I did something similar once to the both of you. I am truly sorry for that. I hope this helps to make up for that incident in some way, though I will never be able to wipe away all the damage it caused."

Lorelai looked over at her mother for a moment, and then much to both of their surprise, went and hugged her. "Admitting you made a mistake, Mom, has helped more than you know."

After a few moments of awkward silence, Luke spoke up and said, "So, would you like to join us for dinner?"

**Author's note**: Ah, the joys of fanfiction, I can have the characters do whatever I want. (Insert evil laugh here). I wasn't going to include the first scene, but I needed a transition scene and I had promised I would have Rachel yell at Luke, so I wanted to include it. And I don't feel Chris is all that much out of character. I'm sorry to those of you who like him, but I don't feel he has much of a backbone and is pretty much a user. He does whatever feels good to him and doesn't care much about the consequences to anyone else. If he did, he would not have slept with Lorelai on the night of her breakup with Luke on the show. But wait, that didn't happen in my world, so I can write him however I want to. : D Emily is also a bit out of character, but I wanted to soften her a bit. In WHIV, I gave her some things to think about and in this story I gave her a little more. I wanted her to see Chris' true colors and to see that reflected back in her. Of course, I couldn't let her stray too far away from her blueblood background. After all, it's what makes her who she is.

Please review and let me know what you think. I really do like input and ideas and try to incorporate them as much as I can into my stories.


	5. Lows in the Twenties, Highs in the Teens

Chapter 5 – Black Ice and Sunny Days

"Look. I braided my little tassel-y thingy."

Rory looked over at Marty and rolled her eyes. She knew she should have never shown him "Tiny Plaid Ninjas." Now he went around quoting it. But the happy look on his face made Rory realize how glad she was to have him back in her life. She felt bad she never tried harder to talk to him after the night he confessed to liking her as more than a friend. Instead, she had let herself get caught up with Logan and his friends and turned her back on the guy who had always been there for her. When she had ran into Marty the first day of summer quarter two weeks ago, she knew she had to try and make things right. It had been awkward and uncomfortable at first, but they had a long talk and worked things out. It wasn't quite back to where they had been, but they were getting there. And with her mom and Lane busy with their new husbands, Paris off visiting Doyle's family, and Logan in London, spending time with Marty had helped to pass the time. "Well, that still doesn't get you out of studying, mister. Not even Argyle Ninja can save you now."

Marty laughed. "I so have to show those to my friends at work." He leaned back in his chair. "I know we are supposed to be studying, but I really need something to drink. Can I get you anything?"

"Coffee would be wonderful, thanks," Rory replied.

"I'll be back in a few," Marty said, getting up from the table they were sitting at in one of Yale's many quads.

Several minutes later, Rory heard someone walk over to where she sat. Thinking is was Marty coming back with the drinks, she didn't bother looking up from her notes. "Just put the coffee on the table and get back to hitting the books."

"A phrase I haven't heard uttered in my presence in quite a number of years."

Rory's heard shot up at the familiar voice, but one that was not Marty's. She hoped she had been hearing things, but, sadly, she had not been. Her father was indeed standing in front of her. Anger at the sight of him coursed through her. Her mom had told her about how Chris had gone to Anna, though Lorelai tried to downplay the whole situation, something Lorelai had always done to try and protect her daughter. Rory knew better, though, and could not believe her father had done something that hurtful to her mother and Luke. And she could only begin to imagine what he was doing at Yale. If he was trying to gain her support, he had another thing coming. "Dad, what are you doing here?"

Hearing the coldness in Rory's voice, Chris answered, "I see your mom has talked to you."

"We talk almost every day, but if you are referring to how you have teamed up with Anna to keep April away from Luke, then, yes, she might have mentioned it," Rory said as she sat back and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Let me explain my side of things."

"What is there to explain? You are deliberately trying to keep a man from his child."

"No, I'm not. Anna is willing to grant him visitation rights. She just doesn't want Luke to have joint custody and I agree with her," Chris responded.

"On what grounds?" Rory demanded.

"On the grounds that Anna feels Luke would not make a good father. He indicated to her on several occasions that he disliked children. He runs a very time consuming business so therefore would not have the time needed to devote to helping raise a child. He does not have the temperament needed," Chris said as he used his fingers to count off each point.

Rory snorted. "And how would you know all this? From Anna? Oh, there is a reliable source. If you ever met Luke, you would see how wrong she is."

"I have met him. He seemed to fit the description pretty well to me."

"Those were not the best circumstances for any of us to be meeting under," Rory said, recalling her grandparents vow renewal and all that happened.

"The man is nothing but a grunting Neanderthal."

Rory stood up and put her hands on her hips. "Do not talk about Luke that way. You have NO clue what he's really like. Any bad reactions that day where just as much your fault as his. You deliberately provoked him."

Chris shook his head. "Your grandfather said you've all but called that man your father. Remember, Rory, I happen to hold that title."

"You may have that title just because you contributed to my birth, but Luke holds it by experience," Rory shot back. Then she stopped as all the resentment for years of being ignored came to the surface. Through she was angry at her dad, she didn't want to get into it all in the middle of a public place.

Apparently Chris didn't feel the same way. "What, just because he showed up for your birthday parties and beat up a couple of bullies for you doesn't make him your father. Did it ever occur to you that he might have done those things solely because he wanted to sleep with your mother, that maybe you were only a means to an end?"

Rory suddenly felt like she had been slapped in the face. She could not believe her father all but told her she wasn't worth spending time with on her own merit. "Is that why you spent time with me, too?" she asked, quietly.

A horrified look crossed Chris' face. "Rory, I did not mean . . ."

Trying to blink back the tears, Rory replied, "The sad part is I know you didn't, at least out loud. But you thought it and that is bad enough. You think that the only way a man could care about me is if they were trying to get mom to sleep with them. The fact that they might actually care about me is not even a possibility. I guess it's like the old saying that a way to a man's heart it through is stomach. Instead, the way into Lorelai Gilmore's bed is through being kind to Rory. You know all about that, don't you? But I also know you are wrong about Luke. Yes, he might have wanted mom, but I was the bonus prize. Luke loves me for me, like I was his own daughter. He has told me that, but he really didn't need to because it is in his actions. He was there for me, plain and simple, long before he and mom were ever an item. He was there for every birthday since we met him and for every important event of my life. He was there when I had my heart broken for the first time and he was so upset for me, that he wanted to beat the boy up. He was at my graduation from Chilton and he helped me move into Yale. He was there to listen to my problems, with coffee and Danish in hand. He gave me his mother's pearls for my 21st birthday. He did all of those things for ME, not just to sleep with Mom. He cares about my hopes, my dreams, and my future just as deeply as he cares about April's. And there is another huge difference between you and Luke. Luke did not have a choice whether or not to be in April's life. It was made for him. If he had known she existed, wild horses would not have been able to keep him away. What was your excuse? You chose not to be in my life. Mom always left the door open for you to be. I always longed for you to be, but you are the one who chose to walk away. Just because Mom didn't marry you at 16 didn't mean she didn't want you by her side. You are the one who chose to leave us behind. And now, it's my turn." She turned and picked up her and Marty's books, not looking at Chris the entire time she did. As she started to walk away, she said softly, "It might be too late to be there for most of the events of my life, but you still have that chance with Gigi. Don't walk away from her, too."

With that said, Rory walked up the sidewalk toward campus, leaving a stunned Chris behind. She could not believe that she had said all she did. She was so lost in thought she didn't hear Marty come up beside her. When Marty placed his hand on her arm, she jumped.

A sheepish look crossed Marty's face. "Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. I brought the coffee to the table, but you seemed to be in an intense conversation. Who was that and are you all right?"

Rory nodded slowly. "Yeah, I am. And that was my father."

Marty nodded in understanding. "Say no more."

The pair walked in silence for a few moments when Chris' words came crashing back to Rory. Turning to Marty, she said in a voice full of emotion, "I changed my mind. I'm not all right."

Marty's arms came around Rory as she dropped their books on the ground and the sobs started to wrack her body.

XXXXXXX

"Slow down, young lady. This is not the Tour de France."

April rolled her eyes. Taylor really needed to get a life. Did he really have nothing better to do than patrol the streets?

April slowed down as she neared her dad's diner. That caused a smile to cross her face. Dad. She loved saying that. And as she parked her bike, she saw the very person who held that title. He was standing in his usual place behind the counter, the very place she had first laid eyes on him the year before. Though at the time, Luke had been short and grumpy with her, something about him caused her to hope that he was the one who would turn out to be her father. He just seemed to radiate decency and strength. As she had gotten to know him, her admiration for him just seemed to grow. She quickly learned that underneath his gruff exterior lay a tender heart and a man who would do anything for those he loved. April knew her mom wanted her to be angry at Luke for supposedly abandoning them, but she knew the truth. She knew her mom had never told Luke about her and though her mom had told her the reasons, she knew her mom had been the one at fault. She loved her mom, but she has also grown to love her dad.

Pushing open the door to the diner, April walked into the warm, homey space. She loved the feeling the diner had, even more so after Lane had told her it used to be Luke's father's hardware store and that Luke had pretty much kept it they way it had been. It made her feel connected to her grandfather somehow. "Hi, Dad," she said.

Luke looked up from where he was filling the coffee maker. "April, what are you doing here?"

"Gee, I can feel the love," April shot back, smiling.

Making his way around the counter, Luke replied, "You know I am always glad to see you, but your mom told me she didn't want you over here right now." He paused for a moment. "She doesn't know you are here now, does she?"

April ducked her head, sheepishly. No, her mom didn't know she was here, but when she had heard Anna talking to a lawyer that morning about Luke wanting joint custody, she knew she had to talk to her dad to make him know where she stood on the matter. "No, she doesn't, but I had to talk to you."

"Okay, and what was so urgent that you couldn't call me on the phone?" Luke inquired as he motioned to one of the stools that stood in front of the counter.

Taking a deep breath, April said, "I heard Mom on the phone with a lawyer this morning. Is it true that you are filing for joint custody?"

"Yes, it is."

"Good." At the surprise on Luke's face, April continued. "I know my mom has been giving you a hard time about me. She hasn't said anything to me directly, but I have heard some of her conversations with you. She tends to be a bit too overprotective. I know she means well, but I think she forgets that I am 13 now, and not still a little kid. I also know that despite not telling you about me, she had this fantasy we would all one day be a family, that she wanted to get back together with you. She was quite angry when she learned about Lorelai."

Luke said down beside April. "How do you feel about me not being with your mother?"

"Don't worry, Dad. I am totally fine with you and my mom not being married. I like Lorelai and think she is much better suited for you than Mom is. I can see how happy she makes you and I know how much you love her. I just want you to be happy. I'm promise I am not going to go all 'Parent Trap' on you and try to get you and Mom back together," April said, giving Luke a grin.

Luke smiled back. "I'm glad." He paused for a moment. "I wanted to tell you how sorry I am that you weren't there for the wedding. It was so spur of the moment and . . ."

"It's okay, Dad," April interrupted. "I understand. I know I would have been there if I could have been. There was no way Mom would have gone and I know she wouldn't have let me go by myself. Besides, I wasn't done with school yet, anyway. I had finals and there was no way I could have missed those."

Luke sighed, obviously in relief. "I just didn't want you to think we didn't want you there. I don't know if your mom told you or showed you the invitation, but Lorelai and I are having a vow renewal since so many people had to miss the actual ceremony and we want you to be in it."

April's face lit up. "No, she never said anything about it. I would love to be apart of the vow renewal." She was quiet for a moment. "Are you sure Lorelai wants me in it?"

Reaching out, Luke put his hand on April's arm. "It was her idea. April, I need to tell you how sorry I am that you didn't get the chance to really get to know Lorelai before she and I got married. She wanted to spend time with you, but I was the one who vetoed it."

A look of confusion crossed April's face. Why would her dad not want her to get to know the woman he was going to marry? "Why?"

Sighing again, this time in frustration, Luke responded, "Because I thought you would like her more than me and I wanted the chance to get to know you before that happened."

April sat for a moment and processed what Luke had just told her. He hadn't kept her away because of anything she had done, but because of his own insecurities. She suddenly realized that despite all of Luke's seemingly endless strength, deep down he was a little boy who wanted to be loved. That made him all the more endearing to her. She suddenly found herself throwing her arms around him in a hug. Luke hesitated for a mere second, and then responded in kind. "Dad, that could never happen. Yes, I like Lorelai, but I love you. You are the one I come to Stars Hollow to see. You are the one I had to make sure knew that I wanted to be in my life. You are the one I wanted to go on that math competition trip with me. You. Not Lorelai, though at the time I really didn't know her, but that is beside the point."

"That's good to know." Though Luke tried to hide it, April could hear the emotion in his voice. "Oh, and, just so you know, I love you, too."

Pulling back from the hug a little, April smiled. "And that's good to know." Suddenly a thought crossed her mind, another thing she wanted to run by her dad. Sitting back down on her stool, she said, "Dad, is Rory made at me for coming along?"

The look of confusion crossed Luke's face this time. "Not that I am aware of. Why do you ask?"

"Because I say how the two of you interacted in Philadelphia and it was obvious that she sees you as a father figure. And I know you feel the same way about her. I really like and admire Rory and want us to get along, but I don't want to be the cause for any tension between the two of you," April said softly.

Luke reached out and hugged April again. "April, I am going to tell you the truth. Yes, I do see Rory as a daughter figure and she sees me as a father figure, but she, too, has came to me expressing that she didn't want to cause any trouble between you and I. I love and care about you both, just like any father with more than one child. Rory will always be special to me because, looking back, she was who taught me what it meant to be a father. And you will always be special because you are my flesh and blood. If Lorelai and I have children together, we will love them just as much as we love you and Rory. There will be no favoritism just because they came from her and me. In a way, so did you and Rory. We are all family, not matter who we originally came from."

April nodded. "That is how I feel and it makes me feel better knowing Rory feels the same way. I want her to like me."

"I know she already does," Luke assured her.

April was quiet for a moment. "Dad, I want you to know how much it means to me that you are willing to go through all this trouble for me, with the whole custody battle and all."

Luke leaned down and looked April in the eye. "April, you are my daughter and it is something I should have done all along."

"Are you sure Lorelai is okay with all this?" April asked. It wasn't that she thought Lorelai disliked her, she just want to make sure she wasn't causing any trouble between the newly married couple.

"She was the one who called her dad to get the name of our lawyer. Lorelai is looking forward to when you are allowed to stay over. She has already planned about 10 weekends worth of outings for the two of you, as well as tons of family activities. She wants you to feel welcome in our home. That is one of the reasons she has put off decorating the spare rooms because she wants you to choose the one you want," Luke replied.

"Really?" April said, excitedly.

"Really."

"Cool."

Luke just laughed. "She has been bugging me to turn one of the outside sheds into a laboratory for you, saying that all future scientists need a space to experiment in."

"I knew there was a reason I liked her so much," April replied.

"Of course, she comes with the idea, but I'll be the one who has to do all the work," Luke grumbled as he stood up. "Well, since you are here, would you like some pie?"

"Do you have to ask?'

"Great, another one. I am in so much trouble."

April just giggled, knowing who Luke was talking about.

XXXXXXX

Later that evening as Luke pulled into the driveway at home, he spotted Lorelai on the front porch with Paul Anka lying in front of her. Another good benefit to moving was some of the furry dog's weird quirks seemed to have disappeared. Of course, new ones had surfaced, but they were ones Luke had been able to live with. At least one didn't have to put sugar on their toes anymore for Paul Anka to like you.

Luke parked the truck and got out. Making his way up the porch, he was eager to share April's visit with his wife. As he got closer, though, he noticed the look on Loreali's face. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Lorelai jumped a little like she hadn't even been aware of Luke's presence, which only caused his alarm to grow. "Oh, hun, you're home."

Ignoring Paul Anka, Luke knelt down in front of Lorelai. "Yes, I am. I was going to tell you about April coming by the diner, but something is obviously wrong. What is it?"

"Marty called me just a little while ago."

Luke tried to wrack his brain for someone he knew by the name of Marty, but came up blank. "Who's Marty?"

"A friend of Rory's," Lorelai answered, in a monotone voice.

Lorelai's tone only frightened Luke more. "Lorelai, what happened? Is Rory okay?"

"Physically yes, but Marty told me Chris stopped by Yale today. I guess he wanted to talk about the whole custody thing. Anyway, Chris was mad Rory wouldn't give him a chance to tell his side of the story and so he said . . ." Lorelai stopped.

Luke took Lorelai's hand in his, though his anger was already building. Chris' comment could not have been good if Lorelai was this upset. "What did he say, Lorelai?"

Taking a deep breath, Lorelai replied, "He told her the only reason any man I dated was nice to her was because they wanted to get me into bed."

Anger like Luke had never known coursed through Luke's body. How could any man say that to his own daughter? How could any father practically come right out and say his own child was not worth knowing on their own merits? Knowing how sensitive Rory was, Luke knew Chris' words must have devastated and practically destroy her. Luke suddenly felt a hand on his arm.

"Luke, say something. You're beginning to scare me here."

Lorelai's words caused the floodgates to open. "I'm going to kill him. Okay, the ball game idea won't work, so I need to come up with a new plan. He deserves to die a slow and painful death, where he knows exactly what is happening to him. How dare he tell anyone that, let alone his own daughter? Does the man not have a brain in his head? Obviously he doesn't know Rory or he could never say that. How dare he make her feel like she is not good enough on her own? I am going to rip off his head and shove it so far up his . . . "

"Luke, calm down," Lorelai said. "You are scaring Paul Anka."

Luke looked over to where the grey and white dog had moved to hide under the table. "Nah, he's just plotting with me."

Lorelai laughed softly, then she grew serious. "Luke, I know you are angry, so am I. Believe me, I had my own thoughts of murder. But it won't solve anything. It will only make things worse. This is what he wants us to do."

"You think he insulted Rory on purpose?" Luke inquired, starting to get worked up again at the thought.

"No, I don't. I think Chris misspoke," Lorelai said, then she held her hand up. "And before you think I am defending him, I'm not. Not in the least. I don't think he meant to say what he did, but he still thought it and that is bad enough. He is starting to show his true colors and it's starting to reveal a pattern I don't like, but I'm beginning to realize was always there. I'm beginning to see that every time he came back, tried to get me to go back with him. It was never just to see Rory. That was just a side product of the visit. It should have been about her, not me. And even these last few months have been the same agenda. He was never happy for me that I found you. He was subtlety trying to break us up, to weasel his way back into my affections. That night a few weeks ago at my parents' house should have tipped me off, but my emotions were too clouded to see it. He buys Rory things to try and get her affection that way instead of truly trying to get to know his daughter. You know your own daughter, whom you have only know about for less than a year, far better then Chris knows Rory and he has known about her for her whole life. I tried to shield her from it, but I can't shield her from this."

Luke felt his heart break at the defeated tone in Lorelai's voice. He had no idea what to do or say to help her. "Maybe not, but she's strong. She'll get through this and we'll be here to help her."

Tears started to fall down Lorelai's face. "She doesn't want me there, Luke. She had Marty tell me that. I haven't even gotten the chance to talk to her directly."

Luke put his hands on Lorelai's arms. "She'll come to you when she is ready. Give her a little time to process this. She knows you love her and will be there for her when she is ready to talk about it."

"But my baby is hurting," Lorelai said, and she started to sob.

Pulling Lorelai to him, Luke replied, "I know." As Lorelai continued to cry, he held her to him and whispered what he hoped was comforting words in her ear. After several long moments, her crying slowed and she pulled away.

"Thank you," Lorelai said, her voice hoarse from crying.

Shrugging, Luke responded, "That's what I am here for."

Lorelai continued to snuggle into Luke, then she suddenly pulled back, "Wait a minute, you mentioned something about April, didn't you?"

Luke nodded. "Yes, I did, but that can wait." He stood and pulled Lorelai up with him. "Come on. I'll draw you a bubble bath. You relax and I'll make dinner. I'll share about April's visit while we eat."

Putting his arm around her, Luke led Lorelai into the house.

**Author's Note:**

The title comes from the fact that black ice is a hidden danger and cannot be seen until too late. I figured it was appropriate considering Chris' actions in this chapter. Sunny days is the opposite and fits the Luke/April interaction.

When I first outlined this story, this chapter was not included, but somehow along the way, it came about. I decided it would be cool to explore Rory's reaction to the whole custody battle. If her father and Luke were both involved, who would she choose? I never intended to have Chris say what he did to Rory. It just came out and so I decided to go with it. It added an interesting twist to the story.

April came about due to suggestion from someone reviewing my story. I honestly never thought about having April involved in the story in any way, honestly kind of silly since this story pretty much concerns her. When I read the suggestion of having April's take on what is going on, I decided it would work perfectly against Rory's dealing with Chris, a kind of contrast / compare kind of situation. So, LynnyB, this chapter is for you. Thanks for the great idea!

The first line of this chapter is a tribute to the best computer animated shorts on the internet, 'Tiny Plaid Ninjas'. They are a spoof of sorts on the older kung fu movies and highly quotable. The line I used is the one heard most around my office. I highly recommend going to a search engine and typing in 'Tiny Plaid Ninjas'.


	6. Grey Skies are Gonna Clear Up

Chapter 6 – Grey Skies are Gonna Clear Up

The next morning, Luke pulled up in front of a large, brick building and parked his truck. He grabbed something off the seat beside him, got out of the truck, and made his way to the third floor of the building. He stopped at the door marked 3A and knocked. When the door opened a few moments later, Luke was surprised to see a tall, dark-haired man in his early twenties standing there. "Who are you?" he demanded, forgoing all attempts at pleasantries.

The young man raised one eyebrow and replied, "I could ask you the same question."

"I'm Luke, Rory's stepfather," Luke replied, getting a trill out of saying that despite wondering what this strange man was doing in Rory's apartment, the very apartment he himself had helped Rory move into the weekend before. Logan had told Rory she could say at his place while he was in London, but Rory hadn't felt comfortable doing so.

A smile crossed the young man's face. "So, I finally get to meet the famous Luke, maker of the best coffee on Earth, according to Rory." The man held out his hand. "I'm Marty."

Luke shook Marty's hand. When Lorelai had mentioned Marty the night before, he was concerned he had never heard the name before. That morning at breakfast, he asked Lorelai if they like this Marty kid. Lorelai had smiled softly and told him Marty was Rory's Luke, so, yes, they liked him a great deal. "It's nice to meet you. Is Rory home?"

Stepping back from the door, Marty said, "Yes, she is. Sorry about that. I should have invited you in after I found out who you were."

"No, problem." Luke walked in and looked around. In the week Rory had been there, she had managed to make the apartment feel like her.

"So, I gather you are here about what happened yesterday?" Marty asked bluntly. "Do you want to kill this guy as much as I do?"

Luke laughed softly. He was starting to like this kid, or at least how he thought. "Unfortunately, I promised Lorelai I wouldn't."

"I can't believe her own father practically said she wasn't worth knowing. I mean, I don't have the best relationship with my father, but there is a long history as to why. Rory is such a wonderful person. Anyone would be honored to know her."

Nodding his head, Luke agreed. "I'm glad you see that, but Chris always was an idiot." He was quiet for a moment. "Is Rory in her room?"

"She was sleeping a little while ago. She's been crying off and on all night. I didn't want to leave because I didn't want her to be alone. That would only make her think what he father said was true," Marty responded.

"Thanks, Marty. I appreciate you being here for her."

A sheepish look crossed Marty's face. "I'm just glad you don't want to beat me up for being alone with your stepdaughter all night."

Luke laughed again. "Maybe next time. I'm going to go check on Rory." He handed Marty the thermos he was holding. "Here. It's some of my Gilmore Girl approved coffee. Help yourself. Just be sure to save Rory some or I can't be held responsible for what happens." With that, he headed toward the bedroom. At the door, he knocked softly. He heard a muffled voice says, "I'm okay, Marty. You really don't have to stay." Luke's heart broke at how sad Rory sounded. He pushed the door open and said, "It's not Marty."

At the sound of Luke's voice, Rory looked up from where she was curled up on the bed. Her hair was all disheveled and her eyes were red from crying. "Luke, what are you doing here?"

"I know you told your mom not to come, but you never said I had to stay away."

Rory sat up and tried to straighten her hair. "You didn't have to come. I'm fine."

Luke walked over to the bed and sat down beside Rory. "No, you're not," he said softly. "And that's okay."

Rory started to tear up again. "You're right. I'm not okay. Why did he say it, Luke? Why aren't I good enough?"

Despite being uncomfortable around crying women, Luke's love and concern for Rory won out and he pulled her into a hug. "I don't know why he said it, Rory, but don't think for one second that you are not good enough. There are plenty of people who love you for no other reason than that you are Lorelai Leigh Gilmore. You mother loves you to distraction. You grandparents love you. The entire town of Stars Hollow adores you. April said just the other day how excited she is you have become her stepsister. And I love you."

"But why doesn't my father love me?" Rory asked, almost in a whisper.

Luke sighed. "Though I hate to appear like I am defending him, because I'm really not, I think deep down Christopher does love you. I just think he doesn't know how to show it. From what your mom told me, he never had it shown to him."

"That's no excuse."

"You're right, it's not. Believe me, Rory, I want to hunt him down and punch his face in for making you feel this way."

Rory smiled briefly, and then grew serious again. "Chris told me the only reason you have ever been nice to me or said you cared about me was because you wanted to sleep with Mom."

Luke hadn't heard that Chris had mentioned his name directly, but he wasn't surprised. He wasn't exactly Chris' favorite person and he had moved even further down the list now that he was married to Lorelai. Leaning back, he looked Rory in the eye. "You know that's not true, right?"

"You mean you don't want to sleep with Mom? Man, your marriage is really going to suck then," Rory quipped.

Because he knew he was expected to, Luke rolled his eyes, but deep down he was happy that Rory appeared to be coming out of her funk a bit. "Jeez, Rory," he said in mock aggravation. "You know what I mean."

Rory laughed softly. "Yes, I do, but I couldn't resist. And, yes, I do know it's not true. I told him that you told me you cared about me, but that your actions have always spoken far louder than your words ever could."

Though Rory had told him something similar at his and Lorelai's wedding, her words still touched Luke. Then a thought crossed his mind. "Rory, this is probably going to sound egotistical, but I think Chris' comment was directed at me, not you. I think he is threatened by the fact I not only married your mother, but that you, too, have let me into your life."

"What. He expected me to hate you and resent you for 'stealing' my mom," Rory said, using air quotes around the word stealing.

"Maybe. That's what Anna expected April to do. Part of this whole custody battle stems from the fact that Anna is mad that April likes your mom. Anna also expected me to get back with her, much the same way Chris always anticipated your mom to one day get back with him."

"But that is not what either you or Mom want," Rory pointed out.

Nodding, Luke said, "True, but that doesn't matter to Anna or Chris. They just want what they want. Nothing else matters to them, not even who they have to hurt to get it."

Rory was silent for a moment. "How is April taking the whole custody battle thing?"

"She promised not to go all 'Parent Trap' on me. Any idea what she meant by that?" Luke replied, though he knew exactly what April had been referring to as he had been forced to watch the Haley Mills version of the movie at least a dozen times as it had been Liz's favorite when she was growing up. He said it to try and further cheer up Rory.

Luke's comment did indeed cause Rory to laugh. "Oh, Luke, you truly are one of the constants in my life."

"And I plan on staying that way," Luke said, hugging Rory again. "Don't let what Chris said get to you. You've accomplished so much you should be proud of, without having him in your life. Don't let him start causing you to doubt that or yourself."

"That's what Marty said last night. Man, when Mom once called him my Luke, I guess she was right," Rory joked.

"Ah, but does he make coffee as good as me?" Luke teased back.

"Not a chance," Rory assured Luke.

"And speaking of coffee, I brought you some, although Marty might have drunk it all by now."

Luke was amused when Rory suddenly jumped off the bed and went tearing out of her room. "Martin, if I come out there and find you have drunk all my coffee, you're a dead man!"

Chuckling, Luke got off the bed and followed Rory out of the room.

**XXXXXXX**

"Thanks for calling, Hun. I'm glad you're doing better." Lorelai said as she walked down the street toward Luke's Diner. She paused for a moment and then smiled. "Yes, I know it was very sweet of Luke to come make sure you were okay and I am well aware that I married on of the very few good ones out there. And you can be sure I will be making that very clear to him as soon as I can." Chuckling at her daughter's sound of disgust over the phone, she said, "Don't worry, I'll spare you all the dirty details. Well, I've arrived at my destination so I will talk to you later." After listening to Rory's reply, she said, "Yes, Mommy will be doing something very slutty, although if you are married I don't think it counst as being slutty. Love ya."

As Lorelai pocketed her phone, she pushed the door to Luke's open and looked around for her husband. Thankfully the diner wasn't that busy and she soon spotted him coming out of the kitchen. Walking over to him, she grabbed Luke's hand and started pulling him toward the curtained-off stairs, calling out as she did, "Caesar, Luke's taking a break."

"Don't I have a say in this?" Luke asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Not this time, Mister. We need to talk. Now."

Hearing that Lorelai's tone left no room for arguments, Luke quietly followed her up the stairs and into his old apartment. Since most of the furniture had been moved to their new house, the space had been turned back into an office. Only a desk and Lorelai's old couch remained.

As Lorelai closed and locked the door behind them, Luke turned to her. "Lorelai, what is this all . . ." He was cut off as Lorelai pushed him against the door and kissed him. Quickly wrapping his arms around his wife, he began to kiss her back. After a few moments, he pulled back and asked, "Okay, not that I mind being attacked by my very attractive wife, but what is this all about?"

Lorelai just smiled. "Well, I just got a call from a very different Rory than she was last night. She mentioned that a certain diner owner had been to visit her this morning."

Luke merely shrugged. "I saw how upset you were last night so I thought I might go talk to her since she never said she didn't want me to come."

Moving to kiss Luke's neck, Lorelai said, "That was a very sweet, very fatherly thing for you to do."

"So, you're not mad," Luke managed to get out.

Lorelai laughed as she started undoing the buttons of Luke's shirt. "Darling, if you are still questioning that, then I am doing something wrong."

"Nope, not doing anything wrong at all. But if this is the thanks I get, I'll go cheer Rory up more often."

"Would it be wrong to hope that Logan breaks up with her so she will need cheering up again?" Lorelai asked.

It was Luke's turn to laugh. "Most likely, but a thank you doesn't have to be the only reason for this, you know."

"I know that very well, but it seemed like maybe it would be in order for this to happen here," Lorelai said as she pulled Luke's shirt off his shoulders and let it drop to the ground..

"Lorelai, why did you think I insisted that we at least have a couch up here?" Luke said as he moved Lorelai back toward the couch.

As Lorelai moved in again to kiss Luke, she replied, "I knew there was a reason I loved you so much."

Luke lowered Lorelai to the couch. "And here I thought it was because I keep you in coffee."

"Nah, that is just a fringe benefit." Lorelai said as she pulled Luke down to join her. "Now, come here so I can thank my incredibly sexy husband."

Grinning down at her, Luke said, "You'll get no objections from me."

"Good to know. Very good to know."

With that, the only sounds that could be heard for several hours were the sounds of a VERY happy couple.

**Author's Note:**

I figured I had drug the whole Rory/Chris thing out long enough, though it will cause one more thing to happen. Not saying what it is, you'll just have to wait.

Also, since this was supposed to be a Luke/Lorelai story, I wanted to include some romance. Lorelai is a little out of character in the last scene in the respects that in the show she would have most likely gotten mad at Luke for going behind her back to talk to her daughter. It's a pattern with her. When she was engaged to Max, she all put told him that he wouldn't have any say in how she raised her daughter. No, wait, she did tell him that. And in Season 5 and 6, she kept pushing away Luke's attempts to help. (The Season 6 demise of the Luke/Lorelai relationship was not all Luke's fault, in my humble opinion.) But since this story is my special, happy Luke/Lorelai world, I have had her realize that Luke was only trying to help her and in the end, all that matters is Rory is no longer hurting.

Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing and letting me know if you are enjoying this story or not. Some of them are in depth and totally awesome. I LOVE those types of reviews – not that I don't love all my reviews – because they give me insight on what you are enjoying and would like to see more of. They also give me the direction they story will take. So, PLEASE review and let me know what you like and even what you do not.


	7. Author

**Author's Note:**

I haven't forgotten about this story. I didn't have Office on my computer at home, so the only place I could type my stories was at work and only when my boss was at the home office. ; ) Well, I now have a laptop and it will have Office so it will be MUCH easier to type stories from here on in.

Thanks to all those who have expressed an interest in the story. I am working on the next chapter now, so hopefully I'll be able to update by this weekend.

BR Cary


	8. Sunny Days Sweeping the Clouds Away

Chapter 7 – Sunny Days Sweeping the Clouds Away

Rachel drove down the tree-lined driveway and stopped in front of the Luke and Lorelai's house. As she got out of her rental car, she looked around. When she had first been told that Luke and Lorelai had moved and now lived on the outskirts of Stars Hollow, she could not believe it. Luke had always been adamant that he would never leave his apartment above the diner. Now here he was living in a house complete with a yard. And what a yard it was. The lot the Danes' house sat on was massive and Rachel could even see a large pond off to her left far behind the house. Then there was the house itself. It was a large, white, Victorian farmhouse, just the kind of place she could actually see Luke living in. Though quite big, the house was still warm and inviting.

Sighing, Rachel tried to push away the feelings the house had brought up. She had accepted Luke's refusal to move when they were together. Since she traveled so much she was used to the tight confines of a hotel room, so his small apartment had seemed spacious by comparison. Yet, there had always been a part of her that hoped one day Luke would ask her to marry him and they could get a house together – the kind of house she was now standing in front of. However, that was not meant to be. She had let the lure of something more, the thrill of adventure pull her away one too many times. But maybe, just maybe, if she hadn't severed ties with Luke each time she went away, he would have been willing to let her have her cake and eat it too (a fat-free, sugar-free, flourless cake, mind you. This was Luke, after all.), and then all of this could have been hers.

Once more pushing the memories of her times with Luke from her mind, Rachel reached into her car and got out a large box. She put it under one arm and made her way up the porch. After she rang the doorbell, she waited patiently for the door to open. A few moments later, Lorelai swung open the large, wooden door. As a smile crossed Lorelai's face, Rachel felt bad for her earlier thoughts. She had to keep reminding herself she truly was happy for Luke and Lorelai and that she was the one who had chosen to walk away, knowing no one could ever fill the place Lorelai held in Luke's heart.

"Rachel, what brings you by?" Lorelai asked.

Rachel held up the box in her hands. "I have a special delivery for you and Luke."

Lorelai's smile grew even wider. "Ooooh, goody. I like presents." She opened the door and gestured Rachel in. "Come in. Luke is in the family room watching some baseball game and I'm trying to learn what is going on, but I think I am just annoying him instead," she finished with a cheeky grin which showed that must have been her plan all along.

As Rachel stepped into the house, she was even more impressed than she had been from the outside. To the left of front door was a large, airy living room done in shades of green. To the right of the door was an impressive oak staircase. In front of the door was a long hallway lined with various photos. Following Lorelai down the hall, Rachel saw the photos were mainly of Luke, Lorelai, and their two daughters. There was even one of Luke and Lorelai with Rory on what appeared to be her graduation day. Off the hallway, several more doors where seen before the hall opened up to what looked like the den since it was done in a more relaxed style than the living room. The leather couch from Luke's old apartment was there, as well as a matching recliner where Luke was sitting. A second, more casual sofa was flanking the leather couch, but somehow seemed to match it perfectly. The room was arranged to take advantage of the view of the large wooded area behind the house as well as the stone fireplace and a large, flat screen TV which was showing the previously mentioned baseball game. Above the fireplace was a picture of Luke and Lorelai on what Rachel assumed must have been their wedding day. She could not help noticing how radiant Lorelai appeared and how much she could see the adoration in Luke's eyes as he looked at Lorelai. Tamping down the emotions the picture brought out, she turned to Lorelai and said, "You have a beautiful home."

"Thanks. We hadn't planned on moving, especially since we just renovated my house last year, but this house just kind of presented itself to us and we couldn't pass it up. It's a little bigger than we originally ever wanted, but if Luke gets joint custody of April, we will need the space," Lorelai replied, shrugging.

"Good point," Rachel responded, shifting a little so as not to lose the box under her arm.

Lorelai must have noticed the movement, because she said, "Oh, that's right, you said you had something for us." She picked up one of the sofa cushions and threw it at Luke. "Hey, Babe Ruth, Rachel is here."

Luke waved his hand in Lorelai's direction, still concentrating on the game. "Give me a moment." Then a few seconds later, he turned toward her. "Did you just make a baseball reference?"

"I'm full of surprises, aren't I? Look, I know the game's on and that is very important, but just hit pause on the Tivo and come see what Rachel has for us. The game will still be there when you get back." Lorelai turned to Rachel. "Man, I just love Tivo. Now I never miss a movie or a TV show. My favorite is this show called the Grayson Guys which is about this father and son and how the father is addicted to green tea and doesn't realize he is in love with the local bakery shop owner."

Luke hit a button on the remote he was holding and got up to stand beside Lorelai. "I don't know how you can even stand that show. It is so not based in reality. If I had known you were going to watch such crap, I would have never got Tivo for you."

Lorelai just rolled her eyes at Luke's mini-rant, and then turned to Rachel. "Tivo was Luke's wedding present to me. His is the flat screen. We had no idea what to get each other since we already had two established households, so we got something we both could enjoy that we both always wanted but would never buy just for ourselves." She shrugged a little and moved to take the box from Rachel. After setting it down on the couch, she said, "So, what exactly is in this thing?"

Laughing, Rachel responded, "There is only one way to find out, isn't there?"

Gesturing with her head for Luke to join her, Lorelai opened the box. She got a confused look on her face, then reached into the box and pulled out a stack of folders. "Uh, thanks."

Laughing again, Rachel reached out and flipped open the top folder on the stack Lorelai was holding. "It's not actually a wedding present, but, even better than that, it's something you might need. Each folder contains a character reference."

It was Luke's turn to look into the box. "But there has to be hundreds of file folders in there."

"There are 814 to be exact," Rachel replied. She just grinned as Luke and Lorelai both gave her a confused expression. "And since your next question will most likely be how did I get so many, it was actually the town's doing. Miss Patty and Babette went to Taylor as soon as I told them what was going on and he called an emergency town meeting. There should be a reference from every adult in town, and even from some of the teens and kids."

Luke took one of the folders from Lorelai's hands. "Why would the town do this?"

Putting her hand on Luke's arm, Lorelai answered, "Face it, babe, the town loves you. You might try to deny it, but they do."

Shaking his head, Luke said, "Nah, they probably did it for you. You're the one the town loves."

"Luke, April is your daughter. You are the one trying to get joint custody. They did this for you. I'm just along for the ride."

Rachel nodded in agreement. "Luke, the town did do this for **you**. I told you both that once the town knew what was going on, they would rally around."

"But I'm just the grumpy diner owner," Luke practically whispered, obviously still not able to wrap his mind around anyone wanting to actually help him out.

"Luke, you are so much more than that. Every person in this town knows that if they ever needed anything, you would be there to help them out in a heartbeat. Think about what happened after your Uncle Louie died. That wake afterwards was not in Louie's honor. The town gathered around because you had lost a family member. They were there for you. This is the same thing. The town is repaying all you have done for them over the years just by being you," Lorelai said, as she put her hand on Luke's cheek. Then she broke into a grin.

Luke turned toward Lorelai. "What is that grin for?"

"I was just thinking about the look on Anna's face when we walk into court with all these. It is totally going to blow her case out of the water."

"Payback, this time it's for real," Rachel said, grinning as well.

Luke just shook his head at the antics of his ex-girlfriend and his wife and thought about how much trouble he was in for with the two of them being friends.

XXXXXXX

Luke straightened his tie and looked over at Lorelai who appeared to be smoothing a wrinkle on her dress. Man, he hated wearing suits, but he knew it was the appropriate thing to wear to court. Today was the day he and Anna met on the battlefield also known as the Hartford Family Court building.

Sighing a little in aggravation, Luke felt Lorelai place a hand on his arm. As he glanced over at her, he saw her give him a reassuring smile. He was so glad that Lorelai was here with him. He didn't know how he would have handled this without her. He had never told her just how much her presence grounded him. True, he always appeared to be annoyed by her and, truthfully, sometimes he really was, but that was also just how they interacted. When push came to shove, he wanted no one else by his side. She had once called him her rock, but she was his anchor.

A hand on his other arm caused Luke to look over in that direction, where Rory sat. When she had told him she was coming to the hearing, Luke had told her she didn't have to. After all, she had class and her education was more important. Rory had merely shook her head and obstinately told him she would be there to support him, that the Gilmore Girls would never abandon their Danish Dude. At the look that passed between mother and daughter, he knew it was a private joke that only made sense to the two of them. But like he was with Lorelai, he was glad Rory was there. If things went badly today and he didn't get joint custody, at least he had one daughter who he would get to still see on a regular basis.

As he sat between the two women who had meant so much to him for so long, Luke wondered how he managed to get so lucky to have them in his life. He was also grateful because he knew if he did get joint custody of April that she would have two wonderful role models to look up to whenever she was with him. If April turned out like either of the two women sitting beside him, he would be extremely proud, not that he wasn't already proud of her, but to watch her grow into a woman like Lorelai and Rory were would be icing on the cake.

The sound of a door opening caused Luke to look up. A tall man in a suit was coming out of the room next to the bench they were sitting on. "Mr. Danes, we are ready for you now."

Luke stood up, as did Rory and Lorelai. Rory gestured to the door. "You two go in. I'll wait out here."

"Rory, you can come in if you want to. You didn't have to come all the way out here just to sit in the hall," Luke replied.

"I'm here for the moral support. Now go make it so I will be able to spend time with my sister."

Luke reached out and gave Rory a hug. "You're an amazing girl, you know that?"

Smiling, Rory hugged Luke back. "I learned from the best."

Luke returned the smile, and then turned toward Lorelai. He noticed the tears in her eyes, but there was a smile on her face. She took Luke's hand and squeezed it as she said quietly, "I'll agree with that statement. There was no one who was a better person for Rory to learn from than you."

"Except you," Luke countered. Taking a deep breath, he reached down and grabbed the box that had been sitting at his feet. "Okay, let's go."

Lorelai turned to Rory. "Keep thinking good thoughts."

"I will."

With that said, Luke and Lorelai walked into the room the man with the suit was still standing in front of. As they entered, Luke saw his and Lorelai's lawyer was already there, as was Anna and her lawyer. As he and Lorelai took a seat across from Anna, he wasn't at all surprised to see a look of anger and challenge written all over her face. But before he could respond to her, the suited man sat down at the head of the table. "My name is Walter Smith. I will be negotiating this hearing. I now call to order the case of Danes vs. Nardini."

XXXXXXX

Rory sat trying to read the book she had brought with her, but after a few minutes she gave up. She was too curious as to what was happening inside the room her mom and Luke had gone into. She didn't hear any yelling, which she took as a good sign, but, then again, the room could have been sound proofed.

Sighing, Rory picked up her book to try and read it again, when someone sat down next to her. Looking over, she was surprised to see Christopher was the one there. All he had said to her came rushing back and a wave of anger crashed over her. How dare he show up here? "What are you doing here? Haven't you caused enough damage for one lifetime?"

A look of remorse crossed Chris' face, but he quickly schooled it back into a neutral expression. "I'm here because I figured you would be as well. I needed to talk to you and I knew you wouldn't talk to me any other way."

"And what makes you think I am going to stay and talk to you now?" Rory challenged.

"Because you would not abandon your mother and Luke."

Sighing again, Rory said tiredly, "What do you want, Chris?"

"Look, Rory, I know I screwed up. Not just the other day, but for most of your life. I wasn't there for you like I should have been. I figured by staying away, I was doing what was best for you. I needed to grow up and find myself before I could be good to anyone, but by the time that happened, you were already grown up yourself. And I missed seeing it. I guess I must have thought that time would stop and you and your mom would still be waiting for me to come back. But it didn't and you weren't."

"No, we weren't. Why would we? There was never a guarantee with you. You would come back and make promises, only to break them. You would say you would be in our lives, only to have us wake up and find you gone. We wouldn't hear from you for months at a time. We would call and find you had moved yet again or had your phone shut off. Growing up, I always pictured you coming back and the three of us being a real family, that I would finally get what all the other kids had. I held onto that dream until I was probably at least 16 or 17. Then came Sookie's wedding and so did you, promising once more to make it work and that this is what you really wanted. But we all know how that turned out, don't we. You broke your promise one too many times that day. I was done. That was the day I realized it was never about you wanting to be with me at all. It was always about you regaining what you lost at 16 – Mom. She was always some prize you felt you needed to win. She had been your buddy and the one you viewed as your 'lost love'. So, you kept coming back to try and recreate what you had once had with her. And Mom kept buying into it, for a while. Then she finally got together with Luke, and all that changed. It killed you to see her move on, to finally find what you had always wanted to give her, but never could. But despite Mom finally finding happiness, you still kept showing up time and time again, tying to weasel your way into her life and out of some misplaced loyalty to you and the notion that keeping you in her life would be what was best for me, Mom kept letting you back in. However, she didn't realize something. I don't need you in my life. I never did. Mom thought I was lacking a father figure, but I wasn't. I had Grandpa and most importantly, I had and still have Luke. So I thank you for giving me life, but starting here and now, that is where my allegiance to you ends. I will keep in touch, but only because of Gigi. She is my sister, after all," Rory finished.

Chris looked at Rory with a sadness on his face that she had never seen before. "So, what, we just go on with our lives forgetting we are father and daughter?"

Nodding, Rory said, "For now, yes. Chris, I am not doing this to try and hurt you or to get back at you for any reason. I am doing this for me. This is what I need to do for myself. I have realized recently that I have lost myself these past two years. I have gotten off track of where I wanted my life to head. So, right now, I need to get myself back. I never noticed how much Logan was like you until the day you came to our apartment and the two of you started talking about all the prep schools you both had been kicked out of. Suddenly it all became way to clear and I realized I did not want to go through what Mom had. I saw myself conforming to what Logan wanted, just like Mom always did whenever you were around. Mom changed whenever you showed up. She became less responsible and started behaving more like that 16 year old girl you wanted her to be. Oh, she had her moments of clarity, like when she turned down your marriage proposal, but, looking back, I didn't like who she was when she was with you. I was the same with Logan. I don't like who I became around him. Mom and I both lost ourselves in the sense of adventure and the pretty words, but the thrill of adventure quickly faded and the words proved hollow. Maybe one day I will be able to have you back in my life, but, for now, I need you to finally do the right thing and respect my wishes."

Rory could tell her words had hurt Chris, but he nodded. "I understand. But please know I truly regret what I said the other day. I was angry, but I never meant to hurt you."

"I know, but that is the problem. You never mean to hurt us, but you do anyway," Rory answered quietly.

Nodding again, Chris stood up. "I'm beginning to see that. I'm going to go now. I look forward to hearing from you, even if it is only for Gigi's sake."

"Bye, Chris." As Rory watched Chris walk away, she felt lighter yet heavier at the same time. She knew what she had said needed to be, but part of her still clung onto the dream of her father being in her life, no matter how many times she tried to deny that fact. Wiping away the tears that threatened to fall, she hoped one day she would truly be able to have the whole package – her father and her dad both in her life. But for now, she would have to be content she still had her dad. Right now, that was all that mattered.

XXXXXXX

"I mean the man lived for nearly twenty years in an apartment that used to be an office. What does that say about him?"

Luke had sat for the past forty five minutes listening to Anna and her lawyer bring up everything they could possibly think of to attack his character. They had brought up everything from his choice in fashion – or lack thereof according to Anna – to his drunken escapade during Grad Night their senior year of high school. Luke had really wanted to bring up the fact that while, yes, he did streak the senior class party on a bet, he had not been totally nude at the time. Yet he doubted the fact he had been wearing his boxers during the whole incident would have shed any better light on the situation. He also knew Lorelai was most likely loving that particular story, one he had always hoped she would never hear due to the excessive amounts of teasing he knew would follow. Despite his dislike of such things in his past being brought to light, he had been expecting it. Thankfully, there wasn't that much dirt to bring up. What did bother him was when Anna's lawyer had started mentioning things about Lorelai. He had started to say something, but then he had felt a hand on his arm. He had looked over at Lorelai and she mouthed, "Let it go. It's all right." She had taken his hand and had not let go since.

Finally, Anna's lawyer wrapped up their side. Luke and Lorelai's lawyer, one Mr. Vincent Wilmington from the firm of Wilmington, Sawyer, and Keene stood up. Vincent reminded Luke a lot of Lorelai's father. He was curious to see Vincent in action.

Vincent reached down and grabbed the large box Luke had brought in with him. He then took his glasses from his suit pocket and put them on. Looking directly at Anna's lawyer, he said, "Thank you, Mr. Glengary for your excellent presentation. Allow me now to address your concerns. You claim Mr. Danes is unsuitable for joint custody due to the fact he lived in a small apartment which had been converted from an office. You failed to mention, however, that Mr. Danes owns the building this apartment is in and that it is also directly above his place of employment, which he also owns outright. You claim Mr. Danes has some minor incidents during his youth. I ask you, which of us in this room didn't?" He reached into the box and pulled out a stack of file folders and handed them to Mr. Smith. "These folders contain statements from Mr. Danes' former teachers and coaches, all of whom praise Mr. Danes for his conduct and leadership abilities. You claim Mr. Danes has never maintained a successful relationship." Reaching into the box, he pulled out another folder. "This is a statement from Rachel Goodwin, a former girlfriend of Mr. Danes who reports to the contrary. I would also like to point out that Mr. Danes is currently sitting next to his best friend of more than ten years, whom he dated for the past two years before their recent marriage. I would say that is a pretty successful relationship." He pulled out several more folders. "You claim Mr. Danes would not make a good father. I have statements from Rory Gilmore, Jess Mariano, and Lane Kim which would disagree with that claim. All three claim Mr. Danes played a very significant role in each of their lives and from their glowing accolades, they each seem to love him very much." He began pulling out files until the table was nearly covered. "You claim Mr. Danes is anti-social and a recluse. Well, I have over 800 statements that would disagree. Nearly every statement talks about Mr. Danes' selfless nature, his love of family, how he never turns anyone away who is in need, and his dedication to his hometown." Holding up one last folder, Vincent replied, "And lastly, I have a statement from April Nardini herself stating that though she loves her mother greatly, she has also come to love her father just as dearly and wants to get the chance to be apart of his life."

Luke sat there for a moment, a bit stunned. He had no idea that Rory, Jess, Lane, and April had all written character references. He hadn't even been aware Jess was aware of the custody battle.

Anna suddenly stood up, despite her lawyer trying to grab her arm. "How do we even know all these supposed statements are even real? I mean, Jess is Luke's nephew. Lane works for him. And Rory is her daughter," she said, pointing at Lorelai. "How do we know they didn't dictate what was written?"

Just as Luke started to say something, Vincent spoke up. "Every statement was verified by a notary. And Miss Gilmore, Miss Kim, and Mr. Mariano came forward of their own volition. Not one of these statements was requested by my clients, even the ones from Mrs. Danes' parents. Every single person came forward and offered their statement freely."

"What about April's? Surely that one was coached?" Anna replied, angrily.

Luke finally responded. "This is the first I am hearing that April had written anything on my behalf. I would never do anything to come between your relationship with her."

Anna waved her had around the room. "What do you call all this then? If you really don't want to come between me and her, then call off these proceedings."

As Luke started to speak again, Lorelai laid her hand on his arm once more. "Anna, can't you see that this isn't about you at all? Well, it's only about you in the respect that you keep trying to push Luke out of April's life. But what this is about is a father who desperately wants to be able to spend time with his child, on his own terms, in his own way. I know Luke and he would never do anything that went against your expressed wishes, but you have to give him some breathing room. He loves April and only wants the absolute best for her. And speaking as a mother, you have to do what is best for her. Right now, the best thing is for her to be allowed to spend time with her father without the fear of disappointing you or that you are going to be angry with her if she wants to be with her father. Just because she might want to be around her dad does not mean she loves you any less. You should also be thankful your daughter has a father who wants to be a part of her life. Speaking from experience as both a daughter and a mother of a daughter who didn't have that, the effects can be long reaching and sometimes run so deep you aren't even aware of them," she finished quietly.

"Christopher told me that you were the one who kept him out of Rory's life," Anna countered.

"And he also thinks Waterworld is one of the best movies of all time and that Madonna can act. He's a bit delusional. But I never once tried to keep Rory away from him. He was always the one that chose to walk away," Lorelai responded

Anna turned to Luke. "Why are you really doing all this? Are you doing this just to prove a point?"

"No," Luke replied. "I am doing this because I love my daughter and I missed out on the first twelve years of her life. I don't want to miss out on the next twelve or be forced to watch them from the sidelines. I want to be fully involved in all aspects of her life."

Anna was quiet for a moment, and then answered. "Okay." She turned to Mr. Smith. "Grant him joint custody. I mean, 800 plus people can't be wrong, right?"

Luke felt Lorelai grab his hand as he sat there in shock. Had he just won? He looked over at Lorelai, who was practically bouncing in her seat, so he knew he must have. Standing, he extended his hand to Anna. "Thank you," he said simply.

Nodding, Anna replied, "Just don't do anything to make me regret this." With that, she walked out of the room, her lawyer following close behind.

Mr. Smith also stood and said, "Congratulations, Mr. Danes. I will have the papers drawn up and sent to you to sign within the next few days."

"Thank you," Luke answered. As Mr. Smith also left the room, Luke turned to Vincent, who was finishing putting the files away. "Thank you so much for your help. We could not have done this without you."

Vincent smiled and shook the hand that Luke had extended. "Like Anna said. No one can argue with 800 people. I just made sure they were heard. Oh, and I expect a picture with the whole family. I like to keep them to remind me why I do what I do." He turned to Lorelai. "Say hello to your parents for me. My wife and I know them from several charities we are all a part of. Though to tell the truth, your mother intimidates me a bit."

Lorelai laughed. "I tend to hear that a lot. And thank you, again, for all you did for Luke." As Luke wrapped his arm around her waist, she added, "For us."

"My pleasure." Vincent handed the box full of files to Luke. "Here you go. And if you ever have a day where you are feeling like George Bailey, read over some of those files."

"An 'It's a Wonderful Life' reference. I knew there was a reason I liked you," Lorelai practically gushed.

Luke rolled his eyes and Vincent just laughed. "Well, it was a pleasure meeting you both, though I sincerely hope you will not be requiring my services again."

"No offense, but we hope the same thing," Luke answered he picked up the box full of files. He followed Lorelai and Vincent out of the room. As they exited, Luke saw that Rory was still sitting on the bench where they had left her. When she saw them, she at once stood up.

"So, what's the verdict? I couldn't tell anything from Anna's face when she walked out," Rory asked.

Lorelai paused for a moment and then said, "We won!"

Rory let out a squeal and huggedLuke, or tried to around the box he was holding. "I am so happy. I knew you would."

Luke set the box down on the bench and hugged Rory back. "And it appears that we have you to thank, at least in part."

Blushing slightly, Rory replied, "It was the least I could do. Now come on, I'm taking you both out to dinner to celebrate". She looped her arm through each of the protesting adults' arms and, after Luke picked the box back up, led them out the door.

**Author's Note**: I am so sorry this took so long to post. I got a promotion at work that has taken up a lot of my time. Things are, hopefully, starting to calm down on that front, so I am going to try and write more. Thank you for those who have stuck with me. I hope this chapter was worth the wait.

I could not for the life of me remember if they ever mentioned Rachel's last name on the show, so I just picked one for her. If they did, I'm really sorry. If it's wrong, just label the one I used as her professional name. : D


	9. Let the Sunshine In

**Chapter 8 – Let the Sunshine In**

After celebrating Luke's victory with him and her mom, Rory headed back to her apartment. Her mom had tried to get her to stay in Stars Hollow, but Rory figured she would leave her two parental figures to celebrate more privately.

Rory was just about to enter her building when she heard her name being called. Turning, she spotted Marty jogging toward her, which caused her to break into a smile. Renewing her friendship with Marty had been one of the best things she had ever done. She had forgotten what a good friend he was and she still felt bad she hadn't tried harder – okay, honestly, at all – to keep her friendship with him after the whole Logan/Chinese food incident. Looking back, that was just one more place her life had gotten derailed over the past two years. Now she had finally started to find herself again and she had to admit it was a nice feeling. 

As Marty came to a stop in front of her, Rory said, "Hey, Marty. What brings you by?"

"I knew Luke had his court hearing today and I wanted to hear how it went," Marty answered as he held the door open for Rory.

Over the last few weeks, Rory had realized just how different Marty was from the group of people she had been hanging out with. She doubted any of them would have taken the time to come ask how her stepfather's custody battle had gone, but Marty had known how important it had been to her and to her family. "Luke won the case!"

"Good, I'm glad. He seems like a really cool guy," Marty replied.

Rory grabbed the keys to her apartment from her purse and unlocked her apartment door, remembering as she did the day Luke had come to check on her after the blowup with Christopher. He and Marty had spent the morning trying to make her laugh. It had been nice to see how well Marty and Luke seemed to get along. True Logan had treated Luke well, but she truly had never felt comfortable talking about Stars Hollow, let alone take him there. He just never would have understood why her little hometown meant so much to her. "Yeah, he is. Always has been, too. I am SO glad he and my mom finally got together." She turned toward Marty, who was still standing in the hallway. "Would you like to come in? We can watch a movie or something."

"I probably should go study, but your idea sounds much more fun. There is always tomorrow, right?"

"According to Scarlett there is," Rory said as she closed and locked the door to her apartment after Marty followed her in. "Go ahead and pick out a movie. I am going to go change. Oh and there are drinks in the fridge if you want something."

Rory walked down the hall and into her bedroom. As she changed out of the dress she had worn to the Family courthouse, she wondered at the happiness she was feeling at Marty agreeing to stay and watch a movie. She was truly looking forward to spending time with him. Even with Logan, it had been a while since she had felt that way, which was probably one of the myriad of reasons she had chosen to break up with him. 

After changing into sweatpants and a tank top, Rory rejoined Marty in the living room. He was seated on the couch, holding a can of soda. There was another one on the coffee table that Rory assumed was for her. Marty looked up as she entered the room. "I got a soda for you, too, since I figured you might be thirsty," he confirmed. 

Joining Marty on the sofa, Rory said, "So, what did you pick out for us to watch?"

Marty held up the DVD of Duck Soup. "You can never go wrong with the classics."

Seeing the movie made Rory once again think of that night so long ago and caused her to sigh. Marty gave her a concerned look and said, "We can watch something else, if you would like."

"No, it's not that," Rory said softly. "That is the movie we watched the night we stopped talking to each other. I know we have repaired our friendship, but I don't think you know how much I regret how I treated you, how I just let Logan take over my life and forget the people who mattered to me before he came along."

"Maybe it was just something you needed to go through," Marty said as he put the movie down on the table.

A look of confusion crossed Rory's face. "What do you mean?"

"You used to tell me how close you and your mom were, that she gave up the life she could have had in Hartford to give you one where you were free to make your own choices away from the mandates of the social set. Well, a lot of kids rebel by turning to the opposite thing they grew up with. You grew up learning to dislike and distrust the society set, so when you wanted to stretch your wings, that is what you turned toward," Marty replied matter-of-factly.

Rory raised her eyebrow. "Wow, that was quite insightful."

"Good to know those psych classes are coming in handy," Marty shot back with a grin. 

Rory laughed a little, and then grew serious. "I hate to admit it, but I think you are right. I think some part of me always wondered what that world was like. When I was a younger I could explain it away by saying that I was attending Chilton because it gave me a better chance to go to Harvard. I was a debutante because it made my grandmother happy. I dated Logan because I like him. But I think I did all those things because it gave me a closer link to that world. It made me feel like someone special. But, the sad thing is, I should have already felt like that. My mom always put me first and my hometown practically made me their princess, so why did I still feel the need to prove myself?"

"This is going to sound like textbook psych, but could it be because you were trying to get your father to notice you?" Marty asked. "Since he was part of that world, maybe you were trying to find a way to fit in there so he would think you were worth coming back to." 

"Are you sure you want to be a poly-sci major because psych really seems to be your forte?" Rory questioned.

Marty laughed softly. "Nah, just speaking from personal experience. I've learned that what our parents choose sometimes has nothing to do with us. We can't let their paths direct our futures. And, just so you know, you were and are worth coming back to. Your dad is the one who lost out because he couldn't see it.""

Rory was quiet for another moment. "I saw him today. He came to the court house. I told him that for right now the only contact I want with him is to check up on GiGi. Do you think I did the right thing?"

"I can't answer that, Rory, Only you can. Do you feel like you did the right thing?"

Nodding, Rory answered, "Yes, I do. At least for right now. Whenever he came around, it was never to see me, though he said it was. It was always to try and hook up with Mom. One day last quarter, he stopped by and I took him to my apartment. Logan was there and he and Dad spent some time comparing boarding schools they have been kicked out of. That should have tipped me off right there to what I was doing. You were right. I was trying to get my father to notice me and what better way than to date someone who was just like him. I told him that I had Luke and didn't need him. I didn't mean to hurt him, Marty, but I think he deserved to know the truth."

"Rory, no matter how we might want a good relationship with our parents, sometimes we don't get that, no matter how hard we try. Sometimes we are just different people. And it's okay to love your dad but not like him. I had to accept that is what I feel toward my dad," Marty replied softly.

Rory sat for a moment and thought about what Marty had said and realized he was right. A part of her would always love her father, but right now, she just didn't like him. For the time being she needed to concentrate on getting herself back and maybe, in time, she and her father could work on their relationship. Maybe it would never be what she wanted it to be and what was okay. Reaching over, she gave Marty a hug. "Thanks, Marty. That is just want I needed to hear." She paused for a moment. "Okay, enough seriousness. It's Duck Soup time."

As Marty got up to put the DVD in, Rory wondered at the slight tingle she had felt when she had hugged Marty, a feeling like she had wanted to curl up in his arms and ask him to not let her go. Shaking her head, she quickly wrote it off as lingering emotions from the day. But when Marty sat back down on the couch, she moved unconsciously so she was sitting right beside him.

XXXXXXX

Lorelai moved into the den and sat beside Luke, handing him the tub of popcorn she was carrying. After they had come home from having dinner with Rory, they had decided to decompress from the day by staying in and watching a movie. "Here you go. Here is your butterless, saltless, and therefore tasteless popcorn."

"Salt isn't good for you," Luke replied distractedly, clearly thinking about something else.

"Hey, a penny for them, mister," Lorelai said, waving her hand in front of Luke's face.

Luke looked over at Lorelai as if noticing for the first time she was there. "What?"

"Your thoughts. You seemed to be somewhere else right now and I wondered where that was," Lorelai said as she placed the popcorn down on the table.

"Sorry. I was just thinking about today. I know we won and I am happy about that, but I just can't help feeling that Anna gave in too easily," Luke admitted.

Lorelai shrugged. "I don't know her well enough to answer that, but I think the fact that over 800 people took the time to write character references says something about the kind of person you are, the kind of loyalty that inspires."

"But I didn't do anything to inspire that," Luke shot back.

"Hon, that is what does inspire it, the fact that you don't do anything to try and draw attention to yourself, that you just go about life being yourself. That is what draws people to you. Luke, you don't realize the kind of vibe you put off. People feel safe with you. When I first came to the diner, even though I gave you a hard time, I knew it was the kind of place I would feel okay about Rory going there alone. I somehow knew you would watch out for her. And I was right. And deep down, I think Anna knows that too. She just couldn't get past her own fears of losing her daughter to see that," Lorelai said softly.

A look of surprise crossed Luke's face. "I never thought you would be the one to defend her."

"I'm not really, I just kind of understand where she is coming from. I remember right before I was supposed to marry Max, he mentioned something about Rory having a curfew. I told him he did not need to bother himself with Rory, that she was my daughter and I would take care of her. Now granted you are April's father, but Anna has had her to herself for over twelve years. We moms have a hard time letting go of our babies. I think today she saw that it was okay to let go a little."

Luke was quiet for a moment. "Thank you for what you said at the hearing."

Lorelai grinned. "She was attacking my man and I could not have that."

"Staking your claim, huh?" Luke grinned back.

"You know it. Just reinforcing the idea of who you belong to, just in case she gets any ideas of trying to reclaim you," Lorelai replied.

Luke moved closer. "I think I told you once before that would not be an issue. I know who my heart belongs to and who has held it for years. And in case anyone ever forgets that, there is this reminder right here on my hand," he said softly as he ran his left hand down Lorelai's face.

Lorelai captured Luke's hand in hers. "I know mine has come in handy to show certain exes who I belong to and who I will continue to belong to."

"Good."

Lorelai stood up from the couch and pulled Luke with her. "I saw we go stake our claim on each other all over again."

"But what about the movie," Luke pretended to protest.

"I am sure I can find a much more interesting way to entertain you. Besides, I think we need to truly celebrate today's victory," Lorelai continued as she headed backward toward the stairs.

Luke reached over and shut off the TV, then followed his wife up the stairs.

**_Author's Note:_** I am SO sorry it has taken this long to update this story. I was having a HUGE case of writer's block. And then when I sat down to write this chapter, it didn't come out like I intended it to. Jess was supposed to make a appearance and other characters were supposed to get together (Marty and Rory, but obviously Rory wasn't quite ready). I am debating on leaving this series here or continue on with the next one. Please review and let me know what you would like to see. Again, I am sorry for the delay, but I do want to thank all the people who have written and asked if I was going to continue with this story. They are the ones that helped to push me past the writer's block.But even if you don't have an opinion of the series question, **please review** anyway and let me know what you thought of this chapter or of the whole story. I do takeread the reviews and useany and allsuggestions toward making myself abetter writer.

Also, I don't remember if they ever said Marty's major on the show, so if they did and I got it wrong, I'm sorry. I picked poly-sci because he seems to be that kind of guy. (And in no way is that meant as a slam because my best friend is MAJORLY into politics). 


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